A “wicked” school business manager who stole more than £119,000 and hurt children’s education was allowed to remain on the lam.
Joanne Anderson forged the signatures of senior staff on checks over the course of four years in order to redirect funds from Fulwell Junior School in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, into her own account.
As audits were being conducted in May 2021 and she requested to visit the headteacher outside of the school, Newcastle Crown Court heard that her lie was discovered.
She made a partial confession to the head during the meeting, which led to further investigations, police involvement and the true extent of her ‘greed’ was eventually revealed.
Prosecutor John Hobley told the court: ‘She admitted having forged signatures on the cheques, embezzling money due to her financial difficulties.
‘She seemed surprised to know how many and the value of the cheques she had paid to herself.’
Anderson said she used the school money for her own living expenses and to hide the debts she had from her husband.
The 51-year-old, of Summerhill, Sunderland, admitted fraud by false representation of £119,496 between March 2017 and June 2021.
Mr Recorder Anthony Kelbrick told her: ‘There is no doubt that your actions, over a long, long time, putting it simply, were wicked.
‘You betrayed the trust placed in you by your employer and you betrayed the trust placed in you by your colleagues, you cynically used their names and details and forged their signatures on cheques, which you made payable to yourself.
‘Your taking of this money, your dishonesty, must have significantly reduced the educational benefits that the pupils attending the school were entitled to.
‘It was they, the children, perhaps, who were the principal losers, the victims of your greed.
‘You callously forged documents to hide discrepancies from the auditors.
‘I accept now you are genuinely remorseful but that may, of course, be because of where you now find yourself.’
The judge said despite the seriousness of the offence, he was persuaded that Anderson was capable of rehabilitation and sentenced her to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and a four month curfew.
Laura Miller, defending, told the court: ‘She makes absolutely no excuses for her behaviour.
‘She can’t begin to explain the guilt and shame she feels.
‘She accepts the school and children did not deserve to suffer from her actions.’
Miss Miller said after Anderson wrote the first dishonest cheque in 2017, she was then in a ‘vicious cycle of dishonesty’ and added: ‘Her life, in effect, spiralled out of control, where she was trying to maintain the facade of normality.
‘She has never been in trouble with the police before, never been spoken to by the police before.’
Miss Miller said Anderson, who is a carer for her mother, has sought help with debt and sought counselling.
Anderson provided references to her positive good character and submitted a document written herself, in which she said: ‘I am disgusted with myself.’
She added that she ‘apologised unreservedly’ for her actions and the impact they had on others, including colleagues.