Former church official Martin Sargeant leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London (Picture: PA)
A ‘greedy’ ex-prisoner given a ‘second chance’ after stealing from former bosses in the 1990s is back in jail after defrauding the Church of England of £5.2million.
Martin Sargeant’s job as clerk of the City Church grants committee charitable trust left him responsible for 33 city churches, some of them ‘dysfunctional’ and with no vicar.
The Archdeaconry of London role paid him £86,000 a year but prosecutor Joey Kwong said the 53-year-old ‘defrauded the church in a persistent, sophisticated and frankly brazen manner’ between 2009 and 2019.
Southwark crown court heard he made false applications for grants for maintenance or improvements and used funds from large city developments near to churches.
As a result, many of the churches have not been able to maintain their buildings and some have closed their doors.
‘It is clear that the funds were lavished on his lifestyle,’ said Mr Kwong. ‘By the end, he had assets of more than £450,000 across personal bank accounts as well as having three properties in Scotland worth approximately £1 million.’
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Sargeant also booked 158 British Airways flights, bought rental properties including six riverside log cabins and blew thousands on credit cards, hotels and clothes.
He was jailed for five years for committing fraud.
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He had assets of more than £450,000.
