Ex Teacher Avoids Jail After Embezzling Cash

A former principal teacher who embezzled more than £15,600 from an amateur dramatics group has been spared jail. Andrew Montgomery, 41, pocketed cash from the Lyric Club over a three year period. He was tasked with using funds to pay for the rights to use music in the shows produced by the company. But, he was snared with another member of the club found out that a bill that Montgomery gave an assurance he had paid - was not settled. The club, formerly known as Glasgow College of Music Opera Society, was set up by Glasgow musician Allan McBeth. They perform an annual show after each season and this year their version of Crazy For You will be in the Kings Theatre in March. After pleading guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, to embezzling £15,658 between September 2011 and 2014, Montgomery from Falkirk, was given a community payback order from sheriff Bill Totten. The former head of modern languages at Paisley Grammar must carry out 240 hours of unpaid work within eight months. Sheriff Totten told him should be ashamed of the "dreadful way he betrayed" those at the club - based at Burnbank Terrace in Glasgow's Charing Cross. He added: "It is unlikely you will ever have a future in education." Procurator fiscal depute Stuart Fauré said that members of the club thought the money he was in charge of was being paid out to "legitimate sources". When asked to bring in documentation of proof that the money had been paid - for the Lyric Club, to have the rights to use music in their theatre productions - Montgomery falsified paperwork. He duped those at the club into believing he had carried out the job of paying companies what they were owed. Mr Fauré added: "The reason it came to light was a member of the committee was contacted by a legitimate payee, asking where the money was. "The committee member was quite astounded." The court heard Montgomery is no longer associated with the club and immediately admitted his crime when he was arrested by police. He has been involved with the Lyric Club since 1999 and was a committee member from 2001. He has since repaid all of the money and left his job. The money was "frittered away" by Montgomery - who it is believed as a principal teacher would have been on a salary of at least £40,000.