Former round tabler Robin Gilchrist has been cleared of stealing nearly £1,600 of takings from a charity firework display - but he was fined for forging a signature.

Gilchrist, 40, was found not guilty of the theft charge, dating back to last November, at the end of a three-day trial at Oxford Crown Court yesterday.

But he was fined £500 after admitting forging the signature of an auditor when he presented the Bicester Round Table's accounts at its AGM in April, 1997.

Dad-of-two Gilchrist, of Rose Close, Bucknell, used to be the round table's treasurer and submitted its accounts along with a note from Giles David, claiming he had audited the accounts.

But, Mr Syfret said, the signature was faked by Gilchrist. Although Mr David was an accountant who worked with Gilchrist, a £52,000-a-year production manager at Cellnet, he had not seen the accounts and had not received the whisky.

John Greaves, defending, said Gilchrist lied about the audit because he meant to ask Mr David to look at the accounts but failed to get round to it.

He added: "He is deeply embarrassed and apologetic so far as his conduct is concerned."

Sentencing Gilchrist, Judge MaryJane Mowat described the offence as "stupid and ill-advised".

She said: "As a treasurer of a charitable organisation you were in a position of trust.

"You should have done things properly and I take a serious view of this offence."

The jury heard Gilchrist took about £1,900 out of money bags he used to transport takings from the Dymock's Farm, Caversfield, firework display takings.

Mr Syfret said Gilchrist meant to keep at least £1,589, which was found in his car, but Gilchrist said he always intended to take it back. All the cash was recovered.

Gilchrist said he took it to embarrass the show's organiser, Mark Nolan, by making him think the event was a financial failure. He said Mr Nolan refused to pay Gilchrist's son for summer work.

Gilchrist, a round tabler for ten years, has now been booted out of the group.

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