Jailed for taking P&C cash
Former President used money for gambling habit
counts of forgery and uttering.
She was sentenced to two years jail, but will be released after six months have been served.
The charges came after McLeod, who organised school fetes and drives, authorised some 74 payments from the association’s general, uniform and tuckshop accounts into an account she was signatory to between November 2015 and July 2016.
Shockingly, about $3,000 was stolen from a fund set up in memory of 12-year-old boy who died from a rare blood infection in 2015.
The court heard the trans- actions had to be approved by another member of the P & C and McLeod uploaded fake invoices to hoodwink one of the vice-presidents into signing off on the transactions.
She was sprung after another member of the P and C in February last year noticed the tuckshop and uniform shop were making more purchases than usual.
Suspicions were confirmed that July after the bank’s fraud unit reported suspicious activity to the association and McLeod was charged.
The court heard McLeod had stolen the money to fund a gambling addiction she devel- oped after both her parents had passed away. McLeod, whose mother used to play the slots regularly, claimed she developed an addiction to the pokies because playing them made her feel connected to her mother after she died.
The court heard the former president always intended to pay the money back.
McLeod and her husband, who have three children under the age of 10, sold their house in an effort to raise the money stolen, but have so far only repaid a small amount, the court was told.
A representative from Helensvale State School on Thurs- day told the court McLeod’s dishonesty had made parents reticent to donate to the P & C.
The court ordered more than $40,000 in restitution to be paid to Helensvale State School.
Outside court, McLeod’s defence lawyer Michael Gatenby said his client was “very remorseful for her actions”.
“It is very sad for all involved and she is determined to pay back the money,” he said.
McLeod will be released on parole in January 2018.
Helensvale State School and the Department of Education and Training declined to comment.