A COUNTY Scout leader has been jailed for helping himself to £18,200 of the youth charity’s money in a “grotesque breach of trust”.

Colin Arter, of Spruce Drive, Bicester, was told he “set a terrible example” by taking the money from Oxfordshire Scouting, where he had volunteered for more than 25 years.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court yesterday after admitting one count of fraud by abuse of position between June 1 last year and March 27 this year.

Prosecuting, Rachel Drake said the 42-year-old was a deputy district commissioner for Oxfordshire and helped to organise the county’s One World camp last summer.

Our top stories

She told Recorder John Bate-Williams that Arter requested £10,000 for a deposit to book Thame Show Ground, where the event was held, and £4,600 to hire a marquee.

But the barrister said the committed Methodist provided his own bank details, and those of a friend who he owed money to, and the sums were deposited in their accounts. Arter was caught when the Scouts tried to recover their deposits. When questioned he also admitted “syphoning” off a further £3,600, Miss Drake added.

Peter Du Feu, defending, said his client had run into financial difficulties and “has not been himself for some time”.

He said: “This is a man who has been waking up at 4am and being, for no reason, tearful during the day.

“He has found himself standing precariously on a bridge over the motorway.

“He is a man who knows he needs to repay this money and he will do so. His reputation has been, frankly, shredded, and perhaps rightly so.”

But he added that the Scouts had not ruled out his client returning to their organisation at some point in the future.

Recorder Bate-Williams sentenced Arter to 14 months in prison and ordered him to repay the full £18,200 as compensation.

He told him: “This role required you to have the trust of the Scouts, their parents and families, and your fellow volunteers.

“This was a grotesque breach of trust.

“You siphoned off those sums because you and your wife were clearly overspending and you had bank and mortgage arrears. But many people in recent years have ended up in financial difficulties without resorting to such blatant dishonesty.

“You had a choice and you decided to pursue a dishonest course, not on one occasion, but on several.

“You set a terrible example and brought shame, not only on yourself, but on the charity you worked for.”

About 2,500 children attended the One World county camp at Thame Show Ground from July 5 to 7 last year. It included a weekend of activities for Scouts, Cubs and Beavers from packs across the county.

Spokesman for the Scout Association Andrew Thorp said: “We are aware of the misappropriation of Oxfordshire Scout funds by Colin Arter. His actions were exposed during a routine examination of the accounts.

“The trustees of the Scout County are pleased that the court ordered that all money be repaid within 12 months. Arter has been suspended from all involvement with the Scout movement.”

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.