How much money did Francisca Yawson steal from the Diocese of Westminster?

Francisca Yawson stole nearly £100,000 from the Diocese of Westminster.

Why did Francisca Yawson avoid jail for stealing from the church?

Yawson received a suspended sentence primarily due to a significant delay in the investigation and sentencing process, which the judge stated made her 'lucky'.

What could the stolen money from the Diocese of Westminster have been used for?

The stolen funds could have been used to support the homeless and families fed through food banks.

Home / Crime and Justice / Church worker stole £100k, avoids jail

Church worker stole £100k, avoids jail

7 Feb

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Summary

A church technician stole nearly £100,000 from the Diocese of Westminster.
She received a two-year suspended sentence due to a significant delay.
The stolen funds could have supported the homeless and food banks.

Francisca Yawson, a 37-year-old church worker, has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, for stealing nearly £100,000 from the Diocese of Westminster. Between September 2018 and August 2019, Yawson, who was a gift aid and operations technician, made nine unauthorized bank transfers to her personal accounts.

The court heard that the stolen money, amounting to over £96,000, could have been used to support the homeless and food banks. Judge Mark Weekes criticized Yawson's 'grossly and dishonestly' funding of her lifestyle, noting that her actions meant children might have gone hungry. He pointed out that a significant delay in the case, partly due to police closing the investigation prematurely, resulted in a more lenient sentence than would have been imposed earlier.