A Wiltshire mother says that a man who defrauded a Bristol charity for disabled children and adults of £57,000 should have got four years in jail.

Scott Wright, 45, of Leda Avenue, Hengrove, Bristol, pleaded guilty in May to one charge of fraud at Bristol Crown Court and was today jailed for two years and four months.

The court was told he had abused his position as trustee of the Darren Wright Foundation by unlawfully taking funds for himself.

Recorder Richard Shepherd said Wright's actions "had left a trail of financial turmoil and emotional heartache" for the families involved.

Today, a Wiltshire mother who raised £60,000 for her son Harry Kirkham, eight, and lost £14,000 of it, said Wright should have been jailed for the maximum four years.

Charlotte Deegan, 31, of Crescent Road, Melksham, said: “The maximum he could have got is four years.

“I felt that four years would have been more appropriate because it took us four years to bring him to justice.”

Miss Deegan was in court today to see Wright sentenced and said the “bitter-sweet” sentence had helped bring closure to her long fight to get him convicted of the fraud.

She and her partner Matthew Kirkham launched the Helping Harry appeal to raise funds to help their son who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy just days after he was born.

With help from family and friends, and other well-wishers, they succeeded in raising £60,000 and placed it with the Darren Wright Foundation for safekeeping.

The charity worked with families, allowing them to set up JustGiving accounts for the children and managing the money collected on their behalf.

The families then sent invoices to the foundation for it to pay for items such as surgery, physiotherapy or essential equipment.

But when Miss Deegan and Mr Kirkham tried to draw down funds to buy essential equipment for Harry, Wright became evasive and the couple were unable to access the money.

“Cheques bounced and he sent some cheques with the wrong figure on them,” said Miss Deegan, who began to get suspicious that all was not as it seemed.

The couple had wanted to use the funds to pay for therapy, medical treatment and specialist equipment for their son, who is a pupil at the Silverwood Special School in Chippenham.

It was only when Miss Deegan spoke to Angela Hodge, a parent from Thornbury near Bristol who also used the Darren Wright Foundation, that she realised other families were having the same problem.

Together, they contacted the Charity Commission and Avon and Somerset Police and urged them to launch an investigation.

The Darren Wright Foundation, based in Bristol, was registered in May 2016 to help the families of disabled and seriously-ill children and adults by funding therapy, medical treatment and specialist equipment. It was removed from the Charity Commission register in April 2020.

The court heard the foundation's financial records were so chaotic that it was difficult to establish how much had been taken.

A total loss was put at just under £57,000 with families who were affected by the fraud losing out on £41,000.

Some of the money was used to supplement the lifestyle of Wright and his wife, including paying for their wedding photographer.

Sentencing him, Mr Shepherd said there was no doubt the foundation had done some good work, but there was a long list of victims who felt betrayed and let down.

"Mr Wright knew the money wasn't his. He knew he was putting his hand in the till. Mr Wright did abuse his position of trust and there was a degree of planning.

"The fraud took place over a number of years. The very nature of this foundation meant his victims were vulnerable but he continued to commit the fraud regardless."