A FORMER sports secretary of a social club was cleared yesterday of stealing hundreds of pounds of bingo money over two years.
A Teesside Crown Court jury cleared Terence Sturman, 68, of 12 counts of theft, between March, 1997, and May, 1999.
Mr Sturman, of Raisby Close, Middlesbrough, who was secretary of the Western Social Club, was arrested after a stand-in found discrepancies in the club's accounts.
The defendant denied stealing from the club, in Union Street, Middlesbrough.
The court had earlier heard that Mr Sturman had been secretary of the club for about seven years, and had responsibility for collecting money from the club's entertainment events.
He claimed that any discrepancies were due to his attempt to balance the club's books.
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