Inverness mum admits stealing from a Highland children's charity
A mother of three, from Inverness, who became addicted to online gambling while nursing her ill father embezzled almost £9,000 from a Highland children's charity.
A mother of three, from Inverness, who became addicted to online gambling while nursing her ill father embezzled almost £9,000 from a Highland children's charity.
Deborah Gallagher worked for the Crocus Group at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for 14 years.
The 53-year-old admitted the dishonesty offence at the city's Sheriff Court yesterday after faking invoices for children's trips and events that never took place.
The charity helps youngsters who have lost a parent or close relative, sometimes by organising trips for them.
After her appearance, Group chairman Eric Butlin said: "We were all let down very badly by Debbie who had worked for us since 2002. She was a trusted member of staff and we are very disappointed by what she did.
"Now we want the money back. It was funds we didn't know we had and they could have been used for the children.
"We have always lived within our means so the charirty was able to continue because we worked to out budget. But we have a new service manager and new premises and if we get this money back, it will be a tremendous help.
"Obviously we depend a lot on donations from the public."
It was one generous fund-raiser who led to Gallagher being found out after almost two years of banking £8,824.49p of the charity's money into her own account between April, 2013 and November 2015.
Fiscal depute Stewart MacIver told Sheriff Gordon Fleetwood: "In late 2014 a man who had made a previous donation to the charity made a further one.
"He had earlier been given bank details by Gallagher and asked her for confirmation that the charity's information was still correct. But he had been given her own bank details and the funds were placed in her account.
"He had previously raised £1,250 and had raised another £903. But when he posted on Facebook about the donations, the group's secretary responded to him, checked and discovered that the funds were not there.
"She then ascertained that the bank details given to him belonged to Gallagher. The charity's committee met and the matter was reported to the police.
"Further enquiries revealed that there were a number of false invoices. One for £1195 for a Bereavement Awareness Day which Gallagher said she paid out of her own funds and was reclaiming the money.
"Another was for a day's coach trip which the company said never happened. There was also transactions for almost £4,000 for Loch Insh Watersports which the company confirmed was false.
"These went back to April and May of 2013. When interviewed by police she explained that she had an online gambling addiciton."
Defence lawyer Marc Dickson told the court: "At the time, her father suffered ill health and she nursed him. As a coping mechanism, she developed an addiction to online gambling. She realises her behaviour was reprehensible and that she betrayed a position of trust.. She bitterly regrets that and wants to pay back the money."
But Sheriff Fleetwood demanded to know what action she had taken to reimburse the charity since she was charged almost six months ago.
"In this court we hear that people are full of good intentions but when it comes down to it, these intentions are never fulfilled."
Mr Dickson said his client earned £1,400 a month and was prepared to pay the charity £500 a month.
The Sheriff said: "Well, I will defer sentence for six months for good behaviour and repayment at £500 a month. That will total £3,000 and if you do that, I will accept that you have more than good intentions. But if you don't, you will proceed to a not so congenial sentence."
Gallagher will re-appear on October 27.