THE former chief executive of a North East charity has appeared in court to face three charges of fraud and theft.

Graham Leggatt-Chidgey is accused of stealing £127,714 from Butterwick Hospice between June 2009 and March this year.

Leggatt-Chidgey, of Rokeby, near Barnard Castle, is also facing two charges of fraud by false representation involving the leasing of a Jaguar for his own personal use and for not safeguarding the financial position of the Stockton-based charity.

The 62-year-old did not indicate a plea when he appeared this afternoon and has been asked to return to Teesside Crown Court on October 18.

The defendant left suddenly as chief executive of the Butterwick Hospice in March after 21 years in charge of the charity – but news of his arrest was not revealed until two months later.

Butterwick Hospice Care funds hospices for adults and young people in Stockton and Bishop Auckland, as well as Butterwick House Children’s Hospice in Stockton.

Last month, it was announced that former Karate World Championships finalist Debbie Jones had been appointed as the charity’s new chief executive.