A "highly respected" clerk at a Welsh town council has been jailed after defrauding her employer of more than £230,000. Margaret Buckley conned councillors who signed blank cheques which she then used to pay herself, her daughter, a church, and its flower group.
Buckley, 76, started as a deputy clerk at Maesteg Town Council in 2003 before being promoted to clerk in 2016 when her predecessor retired. She held the position until 2020 when she resigned.
She attended Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting she defrauded the council of £238,205.54 – split across £17,279 to Our Lady & St Patrick church, £134,894.86 to the church's flower group, £82,181.68 to her own account, and £3,850 to her daughter.
