THE former chief executive of the Butterwick Hospice has pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud today.

Graham Leggatt-Chidgey was facing claims he defrauded tens of thousands of pounds from the charity.

Last year, Mr Leggatt-Chidgey, from near Barnard Castle, County Durham, pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud by false representation at Teesside Crown Court.

But this morning, the 62-year-old changed his plea to guilty.

The alleged offences are said to have taken place over almost eight years between 2009 and March last year.

During the brief hearing, the defendant spoke only to confirm his name.

Judge Sean Morris told Leggatt-Chidgey that he was prepared to adjourn sentence to enable him to sort out his affairs but warned him that there was the prospect of a custodial sentence.

He said: "I will grant you time and I’ll order a pre-sentence report. Don’t read into that that it’s anything other than a custodial sentence.

"But it gives you time to get your affairs in order. You’ll be sentenced on June 11."

Speaking after the hearing Mary Butterwick's grandson, Stephen Ward was relieved Leggatt Chidgey changed his plea but expressed his disgust at his behaviour.

He said: “It’s a charity set up by my nan. She sold everything, gave everything away, to just set up a charity to try and help people.

“The fact that somebody has willingly just took money out of it for his own personal gain...to be honest I’m quite glad my nan’s passed away because if she was here now she’d be absolutely mortified.”