The jury in Natalie McGarry’s embezzlement trial was told the former MP’s financial report for the Women for Independence group was “gobbledygook”.
Kathleen Caskie, 56, said McGarry’s report was “embarrassing” when she presented it to committee members in early 2015.
The witness – a former committee member, then employee, of WFI – further stated McGarry failed to pay a charity with funds raised as well as venues for group events.
McGarry, 40, who represented Glasgow East at Westminster for the SNP, allegedly stole more than £25,000 from two organisations advocating for Scottish independence between April 2013 and August 2015.
Fife-born McGarry allegedly embezzled £21,000 while Treasurer for Women for Independence between April 26, 2013 and November 30, 2015.
Some of the money was supposed to be donated to Perth and Kinross Foodbank, according to the charge.
She denies the allegations.
‘Gobbledygook’
Miss Caskie – who stepped down from the WFI committee to become an employee – told jurors she was tasked with speaking at an AGM in March 2015.
The accused attended as a keynote speaker but did not present the financial report so Miss Caskie stepped in.
She told Glasgow Sheriff Court: “I felt it was an unorganised report – I hoped that no one asked me questions – it was embarrassing.
“It was gobbledygook, it didn’t say the time period or the balance going forward – it wasn’t up to scratch.”
£326 from a bucket collection at the same event did not reach its intended beneficiary – the Positive Prisons Positive Futures charity – it emerged.
Prepared own report
Miss Caskie told the court other irregularities included Stirling Council not being paid for a venue hire.
She said: “To be honest, I was lied to.
“I was told repeatedly that cheques had been sent and it turned out they hadn’t been sent at all.
“She was telling me any kind of rubbish, she was going to pay it and none of this was true.”
She said she was “being played for an absolute fool” and eventually prepared her own financial report for WFI detailing income and expenditure.
The report shown to the jury showed an income of £64,000, expenditure of £35,700 with cash in the bank of £1,500 and £26,000 unaccounted for.
Miss Caskie said: “We were really surprised why it [cash in bank] was so low – it made no sense.”
Election support
The witness stated she supported McGarry’s campaign during the 2015 General Election.
“She was superb and committed to the issues around poverty.
“My concerns were Natalie had made an absolute dog’s breakfast with everything to do with the money.
“She did not make a dog’s breakfast in her political career and beat some serious candidates in the SNP to get nominated for the election.
“I didn’t think something was wrong, I thought she is really lazy or stupid and needed to hand over to people who knew what they were doing and she should get on with what she was good at – I thought she would be a good MP, she was a very committed person.”
Denies all charges
A second charge states McGarry took £4,661 between April 9, 2014 and August 10, 2015 when she was Treasurer, Secretary and Convenor of Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.
McGarry – of the city’s Clarkston – denies the two charges.
The trial continues before Sheriff Tom Hughes.
