A FORMER charity boss whose ‘greed’ cost tens of thousands of pounds has been jailed for four years.

Graham Leggatt Chidgey, who pleaded guilty to a single charge of fraud at Teesside Crown Court last month, arrived for Monday morning’s hearing carrying an overnight holdall in anticipation of a custodial sentence.

Last year, Leggatt-Chidgey, from near Barnard Castle, County Durham, was sacked by the Butterwick Hospice when concern was raised about his misuse of a corporate credit card.

Smartly dressed Leggatt Chidgey, who sat with his head bowed during the hearing, spent tens of thousands of pounds on luxury goods, hotels and designer clothes, the court heard.

The 63-year-old, who was chief executive of the charity for more than 20 years, used the credit card to pay for a hotel in Scotland at around the time of his and his wife’s birthdays and wedding anniversary.

The offences are said to have taken place over almost eight years between 2009 and March last year – the length of time that the bank was able to provide credit card statements.

Chair of Trustees, Judith Hunter MBE, read out a victim impact statement.

Fighting back tears, she said: “The Butterwick Hospice was established by the work of one woman and it will not be destroyed by the actions of one man.

"I would encourage the community to support the actions of the much-loved charity.”

In mitigation, barrister Stephen Constantine urged the judge to remember that Leggatt Chidgey had grown the charity’s income from £500,000 to £5m a year during his tenure as chief executive.

The barrister said the defendant was at a loss as to how he came to be in this position.

“He tells me that things got out of hand towards the end,” the barrister said. “He tells me that he is a man of means and intends to pay back the money.

“He tells me that there was no sophisticated system to hide the figures, he tells me that he alone was responsible for the expenditure.

“He is truly sorry for the adverse reaction to the hospice, something that he fought so hard for for such a long time.”

Judge Stephen Ashurst sentenced Leggatt Chidgey to four years in prison.

The judge said the word missing from the defendant’s case was the matter of ‘greed’.

He said the claim that Leggatt Chidgey was planning to pay back the money ‘does ring extremely hollow’ and told the defendant that his actions had impacted on the work of the people who have made a success of the charity.

He said: “You stand before the court as a man in disgrace, the reputation you had in the community is now in ruins.”

He added: “The purpose of you using the credit card was for your own benefit. You were on a salary of some £68,000 and benefitted from a company car and you were perfectly happy to appear to live the high life.”

Speaking after the hearing, Mrs Hunter, welcomed the sentence and vowed that it was ‘business as usual’ as the community rallies around the charity.

She said: “We are pleased that justice has been served today. Butterwick Hospice Care was created by one courageous, inspirational woman, Mary Butterwick, and if she were with us today she would encourage us to stand tall and move forward – this is exactly what we plan to do.

“We are here to provide services to children, adults, and their families when they are in need of holistic care as a consequence of a life-limiting condition. For the past 34 years this is what we have done, and it is ‘business as usual’ for volunteers and staff at the Butterwick.

“We appointed a new Chief Executive, Debbie Jones, last year and have reviewed our governance structures and processes.

“Following last month’s court hearing, we have been moved by the positive response of our local community who are ‘backing the Butterwick’ and demonstrating their support for this much loved local charity in all kinds of wonderful ways.”

Mary Butterwick sold her home and put all her savings into buying 10 Hartburn Lane, in Stockton – a crumbling Victorian semi that would be converted into The John Butterwick Day Care Centre, which opened in 1984.