Shamed PTA treasurer told to pay back cash
raised during an annual haggis drive and a further £274.50 the children had made by baking and selling cakes in the school.
Sentence on Sanderson had been deferred until August 7, to enable her to repay the cash in full, after she admitted embezzling £1186 from the association between December 1, 2017, and May 31, 2018.
A letter was submitted to the court explaining there had been a delay in reimbursing the PTA, although solicitor Pauline Cullerton said it was “there to be repaid.”
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis imposed a compensation order in favour of the organisation and allowed four months for repayment.
Depute fiscal Bill Kermode told the court another member of the PTA became suspicious when she checked the account balance towards the end of the school year.
He said she discovered the money in the account was far below what she expected and Sanderson was called in to explain what was going on.
Sanderson turned up for a meeting, but failed to bring in paperwork to access the account properly, and she later declined to meet other PTA members.
Mr Kermode said: “The money had been raised by parents and pupils at the school through bake sales and fun runs, etc. The money was used to buy extras for the pupils.
“The accused was treasurer from October, 2017, to May, 2018. Her notes stated the money had been paid into the bank account but there was no trace of it on the bank statements.
“They questioned the accused and she simply stated she would pay it back, that it had been on her watch, and she no longer wished to be treasurer.”
Perth and Kinross Council auditors were called in and discovered that Sanderson had been responsible for embezzling £1186 in around six months.
Sanderson, who previously blamed financial difficulties for her crime, will be supervised by a social worker until the stolen cash has been handed over. Lisa Sanderson leaving court on Wednesday