A woman has admitted to stealing over £20,000 from two dog clubs to cover her own bills, proving that even man's best friend isn't safe from the cost of living crisis.
Truro Crown Court heard that Lisa Murch, 44, of Silford near Northam in Devon, was the treasurer of both the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club and the Cornwall Gun Dog Club between March 2023 and October 2024. During that time, she transferred funds from the clubs and pocketed cash raised at raffles and events, totaling £20,409 before club officials noticed the discrepancies.
Murch, a single mother of two, pleaded guilty to two charges of fraud by abuse of position. She was handed a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £200 a month in compensation to the clubs for the next two years.
Prosecutor Pip Harper told the court that Murch had only repaid £590 so far - leaving the clubs still significantly in the red. Defence barrister Matt Mortimer said Murch was ashamed and remorseful, and had no money.
"She spent it on day-to-day activities," Mortimer explained. "There was no suggestion of holidays, it was just the bare day-to-day existence for her."
Mortimer added that Murch was "always going to get caught, it snowballed and she was never going to get away with it." Which is cold comfort for the Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Cornwall Gun Dogs who presumably didn't sign up to fund someone's grocery bill.