Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Lauren Wise

Woman admits stealing £100K from community football club

A woman has admitted stealing more than £100,000 from a community football club she was a director for.

Michelle Marshall admitted stealing thousands from the Phoenix Football Youth Club in Southport.

She appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today alongside her husband, Simon Marshall, who denied one charge put to him and will face a trial in January next year.

The couple were originally charged with theft, with Michelle Marshall, 41, alleged to have stolen £99,460.38 between December 1, 2016 and November 8, 2019.

Between the same dates it was originally alleged Simon Marshall, 46, stole £12,344.03, however new charges were today put to the pair in replacement of these original counts.

The couple appeared side-by-side in the dock for their plea hearing, which had to be briefly stopped so Michelle Marshall could take medication for a heart condition.

Michelle Marshall pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by abuse of her position as a director.

On the first charge she admitted fraud between January 8, 2017 and November 8, 2019, in which she transferred £70,185.60 of a grant awarded to the club from its account to spend on herself.

On the second charge Michelle and Simon Marshall were both accused of fraudulently taking £41,619.41 from the club, which Michelle Marshall admitted and Simon Marshall denied.

Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here

Kevin Slack, prosecuting, explained a trial, estimated to last up to five days, would need to be fixed for Mr Marshall.

Rebecca Smith, defending Michelle Marshall, explained there would be a "basis of plea", meaning the full facts of the prosecution case are not accepted, but no further detail of which facts are contested was given in open court.

Ms Smith asked the judge to consider sentencing Michelle Marshall ahead of her husband's trial, explaining they have three young children and she "wishes to know her fate as soon as possible".

Judge David Potter told Simon Marshall he will face a trial on January 31, 2022 while a pre sentence report will be prepared ahead of Michelle Marshall's hearing.

Michelle and Simon Marshall, both of Shaws Road, Birkdale, were released on unconditional bail.

For the latest news and breaking news visit http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/.

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time.

We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.