A corrupt business manager defrauded a primary school out of nearly £120,000 during an appalling breach of trust.
Joanne Anderson had worked at Fulwell Junior School, in Sunderland, for around 20 years and was responsible for managing the financial budget. However, between 2017 and 2021, the 51-year-old forged the signatures of the head teacher, deputy head and assistant head on at least 409 cheques, which were made payable to herself, prosecutors said.
To cover her tracks, Anderson then forged documents at subsequent audits to ensure her deceit remained a secret. However, in 2021, an auditor noticed a discrepancy and Anderson's web of lies began to unravel, prompting her to confess, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
Read More: Ashington man in court accused of burgling 85-year-old woman's home while she was inside
An investigation was launched, which only went as far back as April 2017, and it was discovered that Anderson had forged signatures on 409 cheques, lining her pockets to a total tune of £119,496.14. She was arrested and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation.
Giving Anderson a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, Recorder Anthony Kelbrick said: "There's no doubt that your actions over a long, long time, were, simply, wicked. You betrayed the trust placed in you by your employer and, worse yet, you betrayed the trust placed in you by your colleagues. You used their names and details and forged their signatures on cheques you made payable to yourself.
"Your taking of this money, your dishonesty, must have significantly reduced the educational benefits that the pupils attending that school were entitled to and it is they, the children, who perhaps were the principal losers and victims of your greed."
The judge added: "I'm just persuaded that you are capable of rehabilitation and that your sentence can be suspended but it will be on very onerous terms and I make it plain that, breach of any of the terms will, almost certainly, result in you going immediately to custody."
The court heard that Anderson, of Summerhill, in Sunderland, was in the trusted position of business manager at the school when she began forging the signatures on the cheques in 2017. Her deceit went undetected until May 2021 when an auditor noticed a discrepancy in one of the school's bank accounts.
John Hobley, prosecuting, continued: "The defendant was the point of contact for the auditor and he requested five transaction details of a Natwest account as a random sample. All five highlighted discrepancies, which necessitated further investigations.
"On June 9, two weeks after the Sunderland City Council audit of the Natwest account, the defendant asked to meet with the head teacher away from the school. She confessed to having taken money from the school for her own use, she said, for over a year. The head teacher informed the auditor."
The court was told that, despite Anderson's claims her deceit only spanned a year, two of the school's bank accounts were subsequently examined all the way back to 2017 and it was discovered her dishonesty had been going on since then.
Mr Hobley said that, between 2017 and 2018, 103 cheques were made payable to Anderson, worth £36,900, between 2018 and 2020 169 cheques were made payable to her, worth £52,100, and between 2020 and 2021 she was paid £30,400 from 137 cheques.
The court heard that Anderson, who has no past convictions, confessed during police interview and claimed she had used the money for "living expenses" and to hide her debts from her family.
Laura Miller, defending, said Anderson was deeply ashamed of her actions and extremely remorseful. Miss Miller added: "She makes absolutely no excuses for her behaviour. Mrs Anderson says she can't begin to explain her shame and guilt. She knows the school and children will suffer from her actions.
"There were circumstances in her life that led her taking that decision to write that first cheque to herself, changing the details on the school records to make it look like a legitimate expense. It then became a vicious cycle of dishonesty as he life spiralled out of control."
Anderson was also ordered to abide by a curfew from 6pm until 6am for four months and a proceeds of crime hearing was se for a future date.
Read Next
Cocaine-fuelled driver snared after police spot him swerving in Newcastle road
Gateshead thug armed with knife punched and kicked man before attacking two officers
Newcastle knifeman who threatened to kill family's dog and schoolboy's parents walks free
Prudhoe OAP pushed to death helping friend left in 'living hell' by neighbour's kittens complaints
Fraudster who made more than £50k from fake caravan sales at Warkworth park jailed
