Children’s charity treasurer jailed over £62k con
THE treasurer of a children’s book charity was yesterday jailed for embezzling more than £62,000 to fund a gambling addiction.
Karen McCormack, 49, took money from Bookbug, run by South Glasgow Childcare Partnership Forum (SGCPF), on 65 occasions over 14 months when she was in charge of the account.
She was caught when another volunteer paid a cheque into the account and noticed discrepancies. She confronted McCormack, who confessed: ‘I took the money.’
At the time, the SGCPF was unsure if it would be able to continue past March this year, but it has since secured funding.
McCormack, from Rutherglen, Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to
‘Significant impact on charity’
embezzling £62,250, a crime branded ‘shameful’ by the sheriff, between April 2016 and June 2017. Sheriff Johanna Johnston jailed McCormack for 12 months.
She said: ‘It’s a very unfortunate crime. You know that yourself because you were taking from a charity that’s doing good work.’
The court heard McCormack was employed by Glasgow City Council inspecting nurseries and volunteered with the SGCPF as treasurer of Bookbug.
The organisation provides free books to children to encourage families to read together.
Procurator fiscal depute Deborah Carroll said: ‘The embezzlement had a significant impact on the finances of the charity.
‘It was unclear whether the char- ity had the finances to continue. They had enough money to continue until March. They have been able to secure funding, so it can continue.’
On June 23 last year, a Bookbug volunteer paid a cheque into the bank and requested a statement.
She noticed discrepancies with a large number of payments withdrawn by the accused for events that had not happened.
Miss Carroll said she confronted McCormack and said: ‘Please don’t tell me this is what I think it is.’
McCormack admitted taking the money and said she was using it for online gambling and did not know how to tell her.
The charity account showed 65 transactions when money had been transferred to McCormack’s account and used for gambling. There has been no repayment yet.
Defence lawyer Neil Kilcoyne said: ‘She had taken further sums in the hope she would win so that she could repay. But, obviously that didn’t occur.’
Yesterday, the Scottish Book Trust said that no Bookbug or Scottish Book Trust funds were involved in the court case. A spokesman said: ‘South Glasgow Childcare Partnership Forum runs Bookbug activities across the south of the city.
‘Bookbug is a national programme, delivered by Scottish Book Trust, a national charity.
‘Karen McCormack is a volunteer with SGCPF. Scottish Book Trust supports SGCPF with training to deliver Bookbug activities in their local area as part of their programme, but no monetary support. No Bookbug or Scottish Book Trust funds were involved in any way in this court case.’