A manager at a top Tayside private school, who spent more than four years stealing cash from her employer, has been fined £2,250.
Stacy Bookless siphoned off thousands of pounds while she was running Kilgraston School’s swimming pool-related business operation.
She duped several families into paying her, instead of the school, for private swimming lessons by getting them to deposit payments in her personal bank account.
Bookless, the former national development manager for Scottish Hockey, said she had started taking money because she was disgruntled by the way the school treated her.
She said she had been working up to 70 hours per week instead of the 39 hours she was contracted for.
Bookless, 41, admitted embezzling £4,000 from the Perthshire school while she was employed as swimming manager between May 6 2014 and November 1 2018.
Bookless, of Fordyce Way, Auchterarder, had been charged with embezzling £5,747 but the Crown accepted her guilty plea to the lesser amount.
Fiscal depute Michael Sweeney told the court the offence came to light in September 2018 when she was off work due to illness and the swimming coach took control of the money coming in for lessons.
School launched probe after finding envelopes
A series of envelopes – featuring names that were not known to the school, alongside sums of money – were discovered and an investigation was launched.
Mr Sweeney said: “Proceedings for gross misconduct were commenced over the unaccounted-for money. The accused was immediately suspended and informed of a disciplinary hearing.
“After this the accused resigned from her position. The police were contacted.
“The accused admitted she had provided personal bank details to various families who were using the pool to undertake swimming lessons through the school.”
Solicitor Lee Corr, defending, said Bookless had used £2,000 of savings to pay half the sum back and was aiming to return the rest at £500 per month.
‘A serious offence’, says sheriff
Sheriff Gillian Wade said: “This is clearly a serious offence where you managed to embezzle a substantial amount of money and deprived your employer.”
Bookless was fined and also ordered to pay back the outstanding £2,000 to the school.
Kilgraston is one of the country’s top private schools.
Head teacher Dorothy MacGinty said the school had cooperated fully with the police investigation.
“Since this incident, more stringent procedures have been implemented to prevent future risk,” she added.
