Woman sentenced for using Suffolk school money to fund luxury lifestyle
The school business manager admitted to two counts of fraud
Last updated 5th May 2022
A Suffolk primary school business manager has been sentenced after using school funds to pay for her own luxury lifestyle.
Katherine Todd from Nayland Road, who defrauded Trimley St Martin Primary of over £13,000, admitted to two counts of fraud between March 2017 and December 2019.
The charges were fraud by abuse of position and fraud by false representation.
Investigations by Suffolk County Council's Counter-Fraud Service found evidence Todd had used the school's purchasing card for holidays, a hot tub, garden furniture, experience days in London, West End show tickets, designer clothes, a tent, and camping equipment.
She also regularly used the card to do her food shopping and bought alcohol from Morrisons and MAKRO.
The Counter Fraud Service also discovered that two cheques were paid from the school to Todd to reimburse expenses totalling £391.71 which were based on false information.
She's been given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
She was also ordered to pay compensation of £13,177.45 and legal and investigatory costs of £13,502.70.
Magistrates described the offences as planned and sophisticated, with school children left as the victim.