A STEWARD who plundered £8,500 from a Wearside social club was yesterday jailed for 15 months.

Graeme Ruddick, 44, of Thompson Terrace, Sunderland, admitted stealing the cash from Ryhope's Sea View social club.

The theft was said to have been catastrophic for the struggling club, which expected the financial blow to lead to its closure.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how Ruddick, who had past convictions for dishonesty, was put in sole control of the cash when he secured the post in September 2001.

Euan Duff, prosecuting, told the court how gambling addict Ruddick resisted the temptation until January this year, when he began to help himself to funds.

The court heard how he forged signatures of club officials and wrote cheques to himself, covering his tracks by writing out counterfoils for building work which was never done. He persuaded club chiefs to get a cash card by making them believe they would avoid overdraft charges and then emptied the account.

Gavin Doig, mitigating, said that Ruddick had been a gambling addict from a young age and all the money he stole funded his habit.

Ruddick helped himself to small amounts of cash until his scam was discovered in March when he fled the area.

He returned a few weeks later and handed himself in.