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A church finance worker who stole nearly £100,000 in charitable donations to fund a “high lifestyle” has received a suspended prison sentence.
Francisca Yawson, 38, admitted to nine thefts totalling £96,331 from the Diocese of Westminster over a year, spending on gifts and transferring funds to Jamaica.
Despite citing her grandmother’s medical bills, the judge noted most money was spent on herself.
Sentencing referenced a prior fraud conviction, with the judge stating, “Small children… went hungry while you helped yourself.”
Yawson was given a two-year suspended sentence, unpaid work, and a £1,000 fine.
