Former treasurer of archaeology project appears in court on £100,000 fraud charge

The former treasurer of an archaeological dig project has appeared in court accused of stealing more than £100,000 from the charity that runs it.Pamela Bent, 65, of James Close in Lynn, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court yesterday on charges of false accounting and fraud by abuse of position.The charges relate to her time as treasurer of Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research Project (SHARP).

The offences are alleged to have taken place between July 3, 2019 and August 3, 2023, with the total amount involved being £115,820.Yesterday’s hearing resulted in Bent being released on unconditional bail until her next court appearance, which will be at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday, August 15.Established in 1996, SHARP describes itself as one of the largest independent archaeological projects in Britain.