A ‘SHAMEFUL’ money launderer who pocketed thousands from a rugby club has walked from court with a community order.

Neil Mayhew confessed fleecing Didcot Rugby Union Club of the cash before bank staff caught him.

Sentencing yesterday, Judge Maria branded the 30-year-old ‘foolish’ before handing him the 12-month order, with a 35-day rehabilitation activity requriement.

She also told him to pay £200 costs and a victim surcharge.

Oxford Crown Court heard two other suspects, Kerry Mayhew and Jorge Soares-Vierra, were charged but the Crown Prosecution Service later offered no evidence.

Prosecutor Robert Harding said Neil Mayhew withdrew £2,900 from his account after a cheque for £4,700 had been paid into it at the town’s HSBC branch.

A £1,400 telephone transaction was later made to Mr Soares-Vierra’s account before Neil Mayhew visited the bank’s Broadway branch, attempting to pay in a cheque for £7,400.

But a ‘vigilant’ cashier warned the club and the transaction was halted.

The club revealed none of the cheques had been authorised and dubbed it a ‘mystery’ how its financial details were leaked.

The bank took £4,700 from Neil Mayhew’s account and handed it to the club, leaving the defendant in his overdraft, Mr Harding said.

Kellie Enever, defending, said Neil Mayhew, who had three convictions for five offences when he was a youth, ‘regretted’ his offending.

Mayhew, of The Park, Harwell, Didcot, admitted conspiracy to contravene section 327 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 - which deals with criminal property - between October 13 and 17, 2015.