Jonathan Wright, general manager of Stover Golf Club, has been convicted of defrauding the club of nearly £35,000 over five years by misappropriating funds through dubious invoicing and direct transfers.
The general manager of Stover Golf Club in Devon, Jonathan Wright, 54, has been convicted of defrauding the club of nearly £35,000 over a period of five years. A recent hearing at Exeter Crown Court revealed that Wright siphoned funds from the golf club’s account into his own by using two primary methods. One involved transferring money directly from the club’s general account, while the other entailed invoicing corporate clients for payments that were ultimately deposited into his personal account rather than the club’s official account.
The fraudulent activities commenced in March 2018 and continued until September 2023. Among the victims were corporate clients such as Finlake Holiday Park and Devon Tourmasters, each of which received dubious invoices amounting to around £2,000. Despite the somewhat rudimentary nature of the deception, the fraud went unnoticed for a significant duration. It was only detected when Wright was interceded regarding an unrelated issue, prompting an account manager to scrutinise the financial records. Following this discovery, the club’s financial director was alerted, and subsequently, the police became involved.
The total amount misappropriated by Wright was reported as £34,539. The club has since acknowledged the unsettling situation, stating that unfounded rumours regarding cash flow issues had proliferated, and they were unable to address the financial misappropriation publicly until after the situation was clarified.
Defence attorney Martin Salloway described Wright as a person of previously good character who expressed remorse for his actions, attributing his behaviour to the personal stress he was experiencing at the time. During sentencing, Recorder Christopher Quinlan KC denoted Wright’s actions as a “considerable breach of trust”. However, he noted that there were strong mitigating factors in Wright’s personal circumstances and deemed him a suitable candidate for rehabilitation.
As a consequence of his conviction, Wright has received an 18-month suspended sentence, which includes a requirement to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and participate in eight rehabilitation sessions with probation.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.courts.michigan.gov/492eca/siteassets/publications/benchbooks/evidence/evidbb.pdf – This URL provides information on evidence procedures, which could be relevant when considering financial fraud cases and the handling of evidence.
- https://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/benchv21.pdf – This URL discusses various legal cases involving fraud and could serve as a background on legal decisions regarding similar offenses.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10311201/ – This article touches upon the use of digital evidence in criminal cases, which is pertinent in financial fraud investigations.
- https://www.whky.com – This URL provides news coverage of various legal cases, including fraud, though it does not directly cover the Stover Golf Club case.
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fraud-act-2006 – This URL provides guidance on the Fraud Act 2006 in the UK, which could be relevant to understanding the legal framework surrounding fraud cases like Wright’s.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative mentions recent events up to September 2023, indicating it is not likely old or recycled news. No indication of repeated content from older articles or press releases found.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
Direct quotes from defence attorney Martin Salloway and Recorder Christopher Quinlan KC are present, but no online records found that predate this article. However, without original sources, it’s difficult to confirm first use.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable regional news source, DevonLive. While regional, such outlets typically provide accurate local information.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
The fraud committed over several years, as described, is plausible. The methods used and the consequences align with typical financial fraud cases.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative appears fresh, involving recent legal proceedings. While specific original sources for quotes couldn’t be confirmed, the overall plausibility and source reliability support the verdict that the information is accurate.
