Man jailed for £45,000 Birmingham City football fraud
A former Birmingham City Football Club employee has been jailed for defrauding the club out of more than £45,000.
Peter Smith, of Beverston Road in Wolverhampton, was a former safety officer at the club and admitted fraud committed between 2009 and 2012.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the 64-year-old made fraudulent payments for his wife, daughter-in-law and a fictitious person.
He was given an 18-month sentence at Birmingham Crown Court.
Angela Millington, from West Midlands CPS, said: "Smith grossly exploited his position of trust and abused his senior position in order to dishonestly receive over £45,000 which was used to enrich himself and his family."
She said between December 2009 and April 2012 Smith and his family received payments for employees who he claimed had carried out work for the club.
"Following an internal investigation by the club, it transpired that work had never been done by his wife and daughter-in-law, and that the other name receiving payment was fictitious," she added.
The service is now working to recover the money, which totalled £45,019.