A WOMAN was last night jailed for keeping thousands of pounds intended for the Help For Heroes charity after her boyfriend turned her in.

Tricia Lilliston, 35, was given a 20-month sentence after pocketing more than £2,000 collected at a supermarket in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, over a weekend last summer.

Shoppers thought they were making donations for the charity supporting injured servicemen and women, and their families, but the cash was simply spent by Lilliston.

Durham Crown Court was told that her dishonesty came to light through a tip-off to police from her boyfriend.

It also emerged that the unemployed 35-year-old, of Fir Tree, Shildon, County Durham, was jailed for four months after admitting keeping around £375 raised at a Help for Heroes charity night at a pub in Nottinghamshire in 2010.

Her latest offence was committed after she applied for a fundraising pack using her boyfriend’s surname to overcome any potential blacklisting under her own.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said the kit, worth £507, was sent on the understanding that she was to stage the fundraising collection outside Asda on July 5 and 6.

Suspicions initially arose when she failed to respond to messages from the charity, following the collection date.

“She was arrested, however, on July 22, following information the police received from her boyfriend, who did not wish to make a formal statement," said Mr Towers.

He said Lilliston initially told police she raised £400 from the collection and deposited it at a local post office, with the money to be forwarded to the charity’s account.

Further inquiries were made, including checking cctv at the post office, and Lilliston was re-interviewed days later, when she admitted stealing the money, which she had by then spent.

“She maintained her intentions had not been dishonest from the outset, but then she succumbed to temptation.”

Mr Towers said she estimated the amount was £1,500, but, having admitted charges of fraud by false representation and theft at an earlier hearing, it was now accepted the amount was more than £2,000.

In a statement to the court, Jo Brooks, Help for Heroes’ income protection officer, wrote: “This sort of conduct does all manner of damage to the public perception of donating to charity and is a deplorable misuse of our name and good will.”

John Turner, for Lilliston, said she spent the cash, in part to pay bills, and still has outstanding debts.

Despite her actions, her boyfriend was, “standing by her”, he said, adding: “It was this gentleman who brought it to the attention of the authorities as he didn’t feel he could stand idly by and let it happen, and that’s to his credit.”

Mr Turner said she was now looking to move from the area.

“Not surprisingly the offence received a lot of publicity and, as a result, the reaction has been extreme.

“A Facebook page has been opened inviting comments and she’s been badly frightened by the nature of the threats registered, and so, for a number of reasons, there’s a need to move from the Shildon area.”

Mr Turner said Lilliston has enrolled on courses as well as applying to perform voluntary work.

Jailing her, Recorder Simon Batiste told Lilliston: “Charities like Help for Heroes entirely rely on public donations and, if there’s a perception that money raised on their behalf is not reaching the charity, the impact could be enormous.

“Every right thinking member of the public will be utterly revolted by an offence of this type.

“The charity that you stole from and defrauded is there only to provide protection and treatment for those who have been wounded and otherwise injured in the service of this country.

“It’s a charity fondly cherished by many people in this community.

“Yet you, without any thought to the consequences of it, chose quite deliberately to defraud that charity.”