School business manager stole £15,000 meant for children in 'gross breach of trust'

Fraudster Jane Waters, who worked at William Reynolds Primary School in Woodside, Telford for 22 years, took money that was meant to support children in care and to pay for sports equipment.

She told universities, a city council and a sports charity to pay money into one of the school's accounts that should have been closed, before dipping into it for her own financial gain, often taking hundreds of pounds at a time.

When confronted by investigators, Waters lied, claiming the money had accidentally been paid into the wrong account, and that she was merely withdrawing the cash to pay it into the correct account via the post office.

But when it was made clear her explanation made no sense, as she did not have the required bank cards, Waters confessed. Amy Groves, prosecuting, described Waters' offending as a "a gross breach of trust".

Shrewsbury Crown Court heard how Waters, aged 52, told Wolverhampton City Council to pay £7,800 into the wrong account, cash that was meant to be additional funding to support children in care.

She also told Shropshire charity Energize to put £945 that was meant for children's sports equipment into the account.

Birmingham City University (BCU) and Chester University were also requested to send money for university students on placement at the school. BCU paid in £2,775 and Chester paid £2,850.

The total cash she ordered those organisations to put in was £14,370, however the court heard Waters withdrew and spent £15,889 altogether. She could offer no explanation for her offending, which went on for 18 months up until last May, a month before she was caught.

Waters, of Malvern Crescent, Little Dawley, Telford, pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position.

Andrew Mitchinson, mitigating, said Waters had paid all the money back and is "extremely remorseful". "She resigned from her position on September 7 last year," he added. "She accepts she needs help and had undertaken a course of therapy."

Judge Anthony Lowe took a long pause to consider his options before addressing Waters. "The only inference I can derive is that it in some way provided a sense of excitement, a sense of thrill," the judge told her. "Maybe a distraction from whatever was going on in your life."

He said it was a "fine balancing line to tread" when considering whether to send her to jail or not, as he weighed up the need to deter other would-be criminals against the fact she has paid back the money, and that the judge had "no evidence of greed" in terms of what she spent the money on.

Judge Lowe handed Waters a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He also slapped her with a curfew, banning her from going out between the hours of 7pm and 7am for the next five months. Waters must also pay £1,464 in prosecution costs.

"If you breach this, you're going to prison," added Judge Lowe.