A couple who embezzled £28,000 from their community rugby club must repay only £1 each.
The nominal repayment is significantly less than the substantial sum Katie and Darren Curgenven fraudulently obtained from Redruth Albany RFC.
Truro Crown Court determined that while the Cornwall couple benefited by £28,116 through their criminal activities, they would only be required to pay the token amount.
The amateur sports club has served its community for more than a century.
Truro Crown Court determined that whilst the Cornewall couple benefited by £28,116 through their criminal activities, they would only be required to pay the token amount
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Katie Curgenven assumed the treasurer position at the club in November 2019, shortly before the pandemic lockdown period that affected numerous sporting organisations.
She misused a debit card to extract funds, concealing the fraudulent transactions within the financial records.
The court was told that club members had placed their confidence in her, particularly as her parents were established members who had devoted considerable time to the organisation.
However, she violated this faith almost from the outset of her appointment.
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The amateur sports club has served its community for more than a century
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The embezzlement scheme began in 2020, with the stolen money financing the cocaine addiction she and her then-partner shared.
Judge Simon Carr said that the organisation operates on minimal resources, similar to numerous sports clubs across the county, and came close to collapse due to this “devastating fraud”.
He emphasised that the criminal activity was motivated by funding the defendants’ cocaine dependency.
The judge warned that within their community, they would be permanently identified as the individuals who defrauded the rugby club, adding that this reputation “will follow you to your graves”.
The community rugby club is in Cornwall
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GETTYThe court heard that the Curgenvens made minimal efforts to compensate the organisation, which the judge said revealed their stance towards the victim.
Katie Curgenven, 36, from Bellevue in Redruth, received a two-year suspended prison term last month after pleading guilty to fraud.
Her former partner, 44-year-old Darren Curgenven from Chapel Terrace in Illogan, was handed a 15-month suspended sentence following his guilty plea.
Judge Carr expressed frustration that the proceedings had taken five years to reach court, describing the delay as “inexplicable” whilst noting the defendants bore no responsibility for this.
He criticised the pair’s failure to make meaningful restitution to the club.
