Swimming manager stole £4000 from top girls’ private school
The swimming manager at one of Perthshire’s top private schools embezzled £4000 over a fouryear period and then used the cash to pay off her credit card debts.
Forty-one-year-old Stacy Bookless, who later resigned from her post and now runs her own fitness company, was fined £2250 when she appeared for sentence at Perth Sheriff Court.
She has already repaid £2,000 of the missing cash and was ordered to make good the balance at the rate of £500 a month.
Bookless, of Fordyce Way, Auchterarder, admitted pocketing the cash between May 6, 2014, and November 1, 2018, at Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn.
She had originally been charged with helping herself to £5747 but had her guilty plea accepted to the lesser amount.
Depute fiscal Malcolm Sweeney said she became swimming pool manager in August, 2009, and had her own office next to the pool area.
“In September, 2018, she was off work due to illness - and, in her absence, the swimming coach took control of the money coming in for swimming lessons,” he explained.
Another member of staff would then uplift any cash that had been handed in to prevent it lying around the office.
That person noticed envelopes, with names she didn’t recognise, in the office.
Mr Sweeney continued: “There were also amounts of cash written on the envelopes. However, there was no money in the envelopes.”
Checks were subsequently carried out to see if any of the amounts had been paid into the school’s account but there was “no match”.
The school’s director of sport and the Kilgraston headmistress were then informed and a “full investigation was carried out.”
On October 20, 2018, when the accused returned to school, she was spoken to by another member of staff and in line with school policy was suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.
But Bookless resigned from her post shortly afterwards – and that was accepted.
The police were contacted and they
obtained a search warrant to access banking details of not only the accused but “numerous” other individuals.
During interview, she admitted she had provided her own personal bank details to various families who were using the pool for swimming lessons and she had “effectively taken that money directly, rather than give it to the school.”
The fiscal added: “She said she had fallen into debt with credit cards and had used this money to pay off the debt.”
A solicitor for the accused said during her employment she had “gone above and beyond,” working 70 hours a week but only getting paid for 39.
Because of that, “resentment” had built up.
She had been approached by a parent for swimming lessons and because the class was fully booked, she gave private lessons.
“That’s what really started this off,” added the lawyer.
“She is regretful of her actions and has asked me to apologise.
“She is ashamed and has shown remorse.”
A former pupil of Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, Bookless now runs her own fitness business and also volunteers at a Move Ahead project which teaches people with additional support needs to play hockey.