Former cricket star who used his ‘hero’ status to swindle £100,000 of cash meant for children’s coaching is jailed for two years

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Andy Hayhurst faked invoices to steal more than £100k from cricket board
Funds for developing young players were spent on holidays and fine dining
Former county captain used 'hero' status to work scam over seven years
Jailed for 24 months after what Judge called a 'spectacular fall from grace'

Published: 03:09 EST, 13 June 2015 | Updated: 03:16 EST, 13 June 2015

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Hayhurst (pictured in his playing days) used the club's officially headed paper to write fake invoices to the Lancashire Cricket Board asking for money for 'coaching'

A former county cricket star who secretly plundered more than £100,000 from one of the sport's British governing bodies to fund his love of lavish restaurants and luxury holidays has been jailed.

Andy Hayhurst, 52, who played for Lancashire and Derbyshire and captained Somerset during his first-class playing career swindled the cash over a seven year period when it had been earmarked for the coaching of youngsters.

At the time, the former all-rounder - regarded as a 'hero' to cricketing colleagues - was the £50,000-a-year head of the Lancashire Cricket Board and responsible for allocating funds to cricket clubs in the region to support the game from grassroots to professional level.

But while playing part-time for Worsley Cricket Club in Greater Manchester, where he was formerly club secretary, greedy Hayhurst used the club's officially headed paper to write fake invoices to the Lancashire Cricket Board asking for money for 'coaching'.

He then took the Board's cheques - for up to £10,000 a time - to the treasurer of the cricket club and exploited his 'hero' status to convince them that a portion of the money was intended for them and the rest was due to be paid to other clubs in the area.

When a blank cheque was handed back to him from Worsley Cricket Club, father-of-two Hayhurst banked the cash for himself. In 20 incidents between August 2006 and July 2013 Hayhurst pocketed £107,548 which he used to pay for lavish meals in restaurants and family holidays, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard.

During that period, his boyhood cricket club - who became the innocent target of his money laundering - received just £7,062 to fund coaching and the building of better training facilities.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Hayhurst, from Frodsham, Cheshire, admitted theft, fraud, obtaining property by deception, concealing criminal property and false accounting.

He was jailed for two years after what a judge described as a 'spectacular fall from grace.'

In a twelve year first-class career starting in 1983, Hayhurst played for Lancashire, Derbyshire and Somerset, who he captained, and there were calls for an England place although he was never capped.

In 166 matches between 1985 and 1997, he scored 7825 runs and took 110 wickets.

Following professional retirement, he remained active in the world of cricket and became secretary of his hometown side Worsley Cricket Club - where he had trained and flourished as a boy.

He then went on to become secretary of the Lancashire Cricket Board in 2002, before being made a paid full-time Director. He was also secretary of the Lancashire County Youth Cricket Charitable Trust.

Owing to his former professional career, colleagues held him in 'high esteem' and those at Worsley Cricket Club didn't initially feel the need to question him when handing cheques over.

In a twelve year first-class career starting in 1983, Hayhurst played for Lancashire, Derbyshire and Somerset, who he captained

Summarising a statement from club member Richard Hope, prosecutor Charlotte Crangle said: 'The defendant was held in high regard by all members. He was seen as a hero by some.

'There is a feeling the club will be tainted by his actions, it will struggle to receive grants in the future.'

In another statement, Bob Hinchcliffe, the Chairman of the Lancashire Cricket Board, said: 'All the money which should have been available for local clubs wasn't available. Many people gave their time for free.

'Young players require professional coaching to better their standards. This could have been paid for and wasn't. The Lancashire Cricket Board have a strong feeling his actions have damaged our reputation and that of the England and Wales Cricket Board.'

The court heard that suspicions were raised in 2013 when the Lancashire Cricket Board wondered where their money was going. At the same time, Worsley Cricket Club asked why they were only receiving a portion of funds.

Hayhurst initially lied and maintained all of the accounts were in order, but repaid £22,713 in December 2013 before the police investigation commenced. He will appear before a Proceeds of Crime hearing to determine how the rest of the money will be repaid.

In mitigation, James Hamilton said since being dismissed from his previous post, Hayhurst had worked as a teacher and was a man of 'positive good character'.

'This is a man of 52 for whom cricket has been part of his life for decades, and that life now is, through his own actions, lost to him,' he said.

'That is something he will feel keenly.

'The tragedy in this case is he has offended in a way in a way which has taken from cricket - the sport in which he was a professional. A man who rose to the top of the professional sport simply through his innate sporting ability. You don't get to county captain unless you are someone who will have been looked up to.

'He has made many a positive contribution to the world of cricket. That positive contribution will have been made over decades. His contribution to cricket was very much to his credit. I acknowledge that allowed him to commit these offences in the first place.'

But sentencing Hayhurst, Judge John Potter blasted his actions as 'selfish and inspired by greed'.

Your acts had the potential, as you know, to provide young people with the opportunity to play and enjoy cricket. Opportunities from which you benefited throughout your life and sporting career.

Judge John Potter

He added: 'In my view, the facts of your offending represent a spectacular fall from grace on your behalf.

'You were formerly a professional cricketer and obtained the distinction of captain. Following the end of your professional career you remained active in the cricketing world, playing for your former cricket club Worsley and taking on paid employment as the director of the Lancashire Cricket Board.

'Your role in the organisation was prestigious, well-paid and it bestowed within you a significant degree of trust.

'You responded to this trust by - from August 2006 - embarking on a career of serial dishonesty in which you chose to plunder money earmarked for the development of cricket in the community for your own personal gain.

'With this money you were able to maintain a more beneficial lifestyle than you otherwise would have had. The monies initially intended for playing cricket were spent by you on meals in restaurants and going on holidays.

'They were carefully planned and had a degree of sophistication, for example in the creation of false invoices. They took place over a long period of time and were in breach of a high degree of trust.

'You caused distress to the officials - those you had duped into allowing the dishonest activity to take place. Your acts had the potential, as you know, to provide young people with the opportunity to play and enjoy cricket. Opportunities from which you benefited throughout your life and sporting career.'

In a statement following his sentencing, Lancashire Cricket Board confirmed that Hayhurst had been sacked in 2013 after 11 years working with them.