Salvation Army thief spared jail sentence

A former Salvation Army captain who stole more than £33,000 from the charity and an Alzheimer's sufferer to "rob Peter to pay Paul" walked free from court today.

Heather Wallace, 52, stole £24,700 from Kathleen Maggs, who lived in a care home with her husband and whom she had power of attorney over.

The ex-Salvation Army captain for Midsomer Norton, in Bath and North East Somerset, who now lives in Ashington, Northumbria, took the money to repay £9,669 she had taken from cash donations given to the charity in order to pay off her adoptive son's debts.

Wallace arrived at Bristol Crown Court today with a suitcase in preparation for being sent to prison after admitting four counts of theft between January 2003 and August 2005.

But Judge Carol Hagen said she was being merciful in handing down a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years to run concurrent on each count as well as 250 hours community service.

Wallace, under her previous married name of Abbott, became a Salvation Army minister in 1998 and quickly rose to the rank of captain.

She became friendly with Mrs Maggs after she started volunteering for the charity through her sister May Field's involvement.

In 2003 plans were made for Mr and Mrs Maggs to sell their house and move into Rosewood Country Care Home as their health deteriorated.

Soon after a solicitor was appointed to look after Mr Maggs' financial affairs while Wallace was given power of attorney over Mrs Maggs.

In September 2003 the Maggs' home in the village's Gladstone Street was sold for £83,000 and the money went into Mrs Maggs' bank account.

The court heard today that over the next two years Wallace wrote cheques, withdrew cash and used a debit card to take money from Mrs Maggs' account.

As well as re-paying the money she stole from the Salvation Army, Wallace paid off her son's debts and his rent.

She also bought a fridge, specialist £145 insoles for her feet, made supermarket purchases, paid for dental treatment as well as paying off her £969 tax bill.

The thefts stopped when Mrs Maggs died in August 2005, aged 84, but they only came to light in April 2007 after the death of Mr Maggs, aged 92, and the discovery that the £24,700 was missing from their estate.

Wallace was arrested at her new home in Northumbria in January 2008.

Julian Howells, prosecuting, said: "She described it as robbing Peter to pay Paul.

"But she had stolen from Paul in the first place and it was not a case of simply repaying that money, there was a quantity that was taken for her own benefit and in response to pressure from her son."

Wallace, who is now estranged from her son, claims she was bullied and pressurised by him into paying off his spiralling debts.

Philip Warren, mitigating, said they had had a difficult relationship since he was adopted by Wallace and her first husband at the age of six.

"He grew into a dysfunctional adult and treated his mother atrociously, sponging off her, bullying her and demeaning her.

"He blamed her for the death of her husband 12 years ago but despite all that she feels a mother's loyalty and it is that drove her to commit these offences, to try and salvage him from the messes that he made of his life.

"She is acutely conscious that she has lost her good name and reputation, she feels like a leper in society.

"She feels unable to maintain contact with the Salvation Army and the church which was a significant part of her life.

"Her fall from grace is a fall from a considerable height, she achieved much, she was well regarded and for that reason trusted."

Passing sentence Judge Hagen told Wallace: "Mr and Mrs Maggs were both old and vulnerable.

"You were in a position of great trust and you took advantage of that.

"You are not in a position to repay any of the losses.

"But you had dedicated your life by virtue of the work you pursued to helping others.

"You have lost your good name and I have no doubt that is a huge blow.

"To send you to prison would serve little useful purpose."

Wallace resigned from the Salvation Army in June 2006.

Speaking after the hearing today Mrs Maggs' niece Heather Davis, from Whitchurch, near Bristol, said she had not received an apology from Wallace or from the Salvation Army.

"I'm gutted that she didn't go to prison today," she said.

"It just means that you can steal thousands of pounds from someone and get away with a slap on the wrist.

"I don't think she has lost much, she should have thought about that before she took the money.

"Aunt Kath and Uncle William would be very upset with what has happened, they trusted her and they thought a lot of her, as did my Aunt May who introduced Heather Wallace to them.

"They both worked hard all their lives just for her to come and take it away from them, and there is a lot more that is still missing.

"We've never had an apology from her or the Salvation Army."

A spokesman for the Salvation Army said today: "A breach of trust was clearly committed by the above individual.

"The Salvation Army deplores such behaviour and abuse of position and has co-operated fully with police investigations.

"We have tight procedures for the handling of funds and an investigation has been carried out relating to how monies came to be taken by a former trusted officer."