AN ANIMAL Shelter trustee stole £6000 from an east Manchester animal sanctuary in a ‘mean, persistent and devious’ manner to fund her extravagant life-style and to maintain an expensive sports car.

But Jacqueline Manclark, 54, of Ashton-under-Lyne escaped a jail sentence because of the judge’s concern for the care of her 85 year old mother.

As a trustee of the Millstream Animal Sanctuary Manclark’s ‘creative accounting’ disguised the crimes until it was realised that £6190 of the shelter’s funds were missing.

Convicted in March of forgery by using another trustee’s signature, Manclark claimed that cheques were paid to the trustee who had a loan account with the charity and that she had been the victim of a hate campaign because she had rejected her lesbian advances. Despite this she was found guilty of theft by the jury.

Judge David Maddison told the court that it was his fear for the welfare of her 85 year old mother that made him decide on a 180 hour community punishment order instead of a custodial sentence. She was ordered to pay back the money she stole and legal costs of £1000.

Manclark, who set up Tameside Animal Shelter in Raglan Steet, Hyde after leaving Millstream, maintained her innocence, saying that she will continue to run her shelter to look after abandoned dogs and cats.