The Gungahlin United Football Club says its former president’s theft of more than $23,000 from its coffers has left its “name in tatters” and volunteers experiencing “fear, anguish, hurt and frustration”.
Aaron Alexander was previously found guilty of 48 charges of theft for stealing $23,546 from the club, including the $8,233 he spent leasing a car for his personal use.
Alexander, who is in his early 50s, was the president of the Gungahlin United Football Club from September 2016 until July 2018 when he was stood down.
Court documents show from September 2017 until June 2018 he operated the club’s main bank account and had possession of a debit card attached to a separate club account.
Today a statement from the club was read out in the ACT Magistrates Court which said the theft had not only resulted in financial hardship for community members, it also had a “profound impact on the mental wellbeing of volunteers and their families”.
“The club’s executive and key volunteers experienced significant stress, trauma, unease and fear which manifested itself in sleepless nights, time off work, emotional upheaval, strain on personal relationships and physical and mental anguish,” the statement said.
The court was told the club’s reputation was tarnished over the incident and that led to “volunteers [being] subject to verbal, written and online abuse”.
“Not to mention the loss of players and therefore income as families and in some cases entire teams left the club due to flow-ons from the theft,” the statement said.
“As a club and individuals we are still reeling and will likely continue to feel the impacts of his crime for quite some time to come.”
The court also heard the impact on Alexander’s life since he was arrested over the incident.
It was told his daughter no longer speaks to him and the woman he was with ended their four-year relationship as a result of the charges against him.
The court heard his assets were frozen and he’d been unemployed since 2020.
Alexander is due to be sentenced later this week.