A 'ROGUE bookkeeper' who plundered more than £9,000 from the funds of Bream Rugby Social Club has walked free.

Marie Witts, 40, of Bailey Hill, Yorkley, came close to bankrupting the club, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

If it had not been for the treasurer becoming suspicious about the club's poor financial situation it may well have been forced into administration and folded, said prosecutor Julian Kesner.

Witts pleaded guilty to six offences of fraud against the Bream club between January 1 2009 and May 8 2010.

Mr Kesner said the total loss to the club as a result of her dishonesty was £9,154.

After hearing that her parents are prepared to provide the money for her to repay the club in full, Judge Jamie Tabor QC gave her a 12 months' jail sentence suspended for two years with supervision.

He also ordered her to repay the money in full within 56 days and told her if she did not she would go to prison for six months in default.

Telling her that she was very lucky not to be jailed immediately he also ordered her to do 250 hours of unpaid work.

Witts was in tears as she left the courtroom.

Mr Kesner had told the court that small organisations like the social club relied on the honesty of people like Witts.

"A rogue bookkeeper can destroy a business – and the defendant is such a bookkeeper," he said.

Witts had stolen money from the club by forging signatures on cheques and over-paying herself, said Mr Kesner. Her income should have been £200-£250 a month – but there were months when she paid herself as much as £1,261.

When Clive James took over as treasurer he was concerned that the club seemed to be really short of money which did not add up in view of the bar takings and membership fees, said the prosecutor.

He began to investigate and asked the club's bank to send him the cheques which had been issued.

He found that Witts had forged the former treasurer's signature on many of them.

An audit carried out by the club's accountant Ian Price found that Witts had hidden the frauds well.

Sabhia Pathan, defending, said: "This is a lady who had significant financial difficulties before she entered into her current relationship. These difficulties were not occasioned by herself but by her previous partner.

"I understand she is in debt to the tune of £30,000. She was in absolute desperation at the time these offences were committed. She saw an opportunity to take advantage and assist in her own financial difficulties."

If Witts was jailed it would impact on her 11-year-old daughter who suffers from Perthes disease, a hip condition, she added.