THE crooked former treasurer of Wellington Conservative Club, who stole more than £50,000 from club funds to feed a gambling and alcohol habit, has escaped an immediate prison sentence.

Kevin Aylott, 63, of Sylvan Road, Wellington, walked from Taunton Crown Court with a sentence of 12 months, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to fraud and abuse of position.

The trusted officer of 23 years standing, a long-standing Freemason, doctored cheques which were paid to himself and his scam went undetected for four and a half years – from April 2011 to November 2015 – due to ‘a laxity of accounting’, the court was told.

Gregory Gordon, prosecuting, said the club’s total loss was £53,486,78 which would all be repaid from Aylott’s available funds of £168,000.

Ed Boyce, defending, said Aylott was not having luxurious holidays but his income after retirement did not allow him his lifestyle. He had a job of responsibility, lived with his ‘frail’ mother who was in her 90s and had led a blameless life. But he had now resigned from all the organisations of which he was a member and had lost his good name.

He said Aylott, who walks with a stick, had cancer which had moved from his kidney to his lungs. His prognosis was ‘uncertain’ and he may not survive a prison sentence.

He had been drinking more than a bottle of wine a day and gambling on the horses but ‘was not a particularly good gambler’. He still gambled about £200-£300 a month and his drinking was ‘probably still above the recommended alcohol limit’ although considerably less than at the time of the offences. “It is now in line with his income. He has a significant problem with alcohol and an on-going medical problem,” he added.

Recorder Kevin De Haan QC said his offence was ‘theft although he was charged under the Fraud Act’.

There was a ‘shilly-shally’ issue when he was first questioned but he made a clean breast of it when the police investigated and pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity. He had ‘a serious medical condition with an uncertain prognosis’.

He added: “It’s a serious theft and he has let people down who trusted him. Ultimately, the Conservative Club is not going to be out of pocket.”

He said Aylott was intelligent and, over the years, had held down responsible jobs. He had co-operated with the police and ‘has reached the age of 63 with an otherwise exemplary record’.

He continued: “You have been diagnosed with cancer, which means you are going to have ongoing treatment and it may be further surgery. In addition, you have a serious liver condition and I notice you have difficulty walking. You are also responsible for your elderly mother who lives with you.”

He was also taking into account the fact that the Conservative Club was not going to lose and arrangements had already been made for the money to be paid. “In ordinary circumstances, someone in your position would go to prison immediately,” he added.

Aylott was also placed under supervision for 24 months and given three months’ curfew from 7pm to 7am with electronic monitoring and five days of an activity to be decided by the probation service. He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £100.