Treasurer who stole £32,000 from church to pay £1 forfeit

A treasurer who stole £32,000 from his church to fund his gambling habit has been ordered to pay back £1.

David Peach-Miles, of Newent, stole the money from St John the Baptist Church in Ruardean in the Forest of Dean between April 2015 and February 2016.

Peach-Miles was jailed for 16 months in November at Gloucester Crown Court.

The judge ordered the 37-year-old to forfeit £1 as he has no assets but said he would be liable to confiscation if he acquired money in the future.

Prosecutor Phillip Warren said the £1 nominal sum and any future money confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act, would be paid as compensation to the Ruardean Parochial Church Council.

Peach-Miles had taken over as treasurer in March 2016 and had full access to the online accounts.

Within weeks of being in the job, he began to steal money for the next 10 months.

His theft was only discovered when a number of payments failed to clear.