Salvation Army Minister Sentenced for Theft

Salvation Army Captain and Minister Andrew Huggins stole more than £900 from his congregation.

The 40-year-old smashed a window and trashed his office in Brick Kiln Lane, Chesterton, to make it look like it had been broken into by crooks who carried out an untidy search, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday.

He denied the theft and a separate charge of criminal damage but was found guilty by a jury.

The jury heard an alert neighbour heard the window break at the Salvation Army building at about 5.15pm on July 30. He went to investigate and called the police.

Huggins approached officers and asked what was wrong. The officers searched the building and noticed the filing cabinet in the defendant's office had been broken and the takings were missing.

The CCTV system was checked and the defendant was seen entering the building and going into his office. He was later seen leaving carrying a black computer case.

Huggins's car was searched and officers found the £931.78 takings inside the computer case in the boot.

The defendant was arrested and claimed to have taken the takings to count them at home before returning them. He denied breaking the window and acting dishonestly.

But the jury agreed with the Crown's case – that Huggins staged a break-in to conceal his wrongdoing.