Married couple pilfered £20,000 from rugby club

TWO then-married fraudsters who stole more than £20,000 from a small rugby club to spend on drugs and clear their debts have been handed suspended prison sentences.

- by MAXINE DENTON

Katie Curgenven, 36, also known as Katie Stevens, took out a debit card in her name on behalf of Redruth Albany RFC to defraud the club, and her now ex-husband, Darren Curgenven, 44, used it to withdraw cash and spend it on his drug addiction.

Katie Curgenven, of Bellevue, Redruth, and Darren Curgenven, of Higher St Clements Hill, Truro, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Friday, July 4, for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to fraud by false representation.

Ryan Murray, for the prosecution, told the court that the offending dated back to 2019 and 2020, when the pair were still married.

Katie Curgenven had worked behind the bar at Redruth Albany RFC before she was trusted to become the club’s treasurer in November 2019 on a voluntary basis.

However, almost immediately after assuming the role she opened a Lloyds bank account and authorised a debit card in her sole name on behalf of the club, something of which the other committee members were not aware, as the club's main account was with HSBC.