Former treasurer of archaeological project avoids jail after stealing more than £100K from charity

A 65-year-old Lynn woman has avoided jail after admitting stealing more than £100,000 from a charity which runs an archaeological dig project.Pamela Bent, of James Close, appeared at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing last Monday. She received a two-year prison term, suspended for two years.It came after she pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and two counts of false accounting at the same court in August.

The charges related to her time as treasurer of Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project (SHARP) between July 3, 2019, and August 3, 2023.The total amount of money involved was around £115,000. Last Monday, Bent was ordered to pay £61,626.46 in compensation to SHARP.She was told she would also need to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement. According to the BBC, the court heard that Bent had a “gambling addiction” and told police she had “borrowed” the money from the charity to pay her mortgage.The BBC also reported that she had paid half of the money back before the offences came to light – and that the court has forced her to sell her home to repay the rest of the funds.Established in 1996, SHARP describes itself as one of the largest independent archaeological projects in Britain.