The Scotsman

Embezzling teacher faces being banned from the classroom

- By CRAIG PATON

A teacher who embezzled £12,000 to fund her gambling addiction is facing being struck off.

Alison Mcwilliam took the money while she was helping a local summer festival, leaving it with just £0.18 in its account in 2014, a sheriff court was told last year.

The modern studies teacher from Duns, Scottish Borders, ended up with a criminal record and is now fighting for her career in front of the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS).

The 56-year-old was sacked from her job at Kelso High School and could be struck off if the GTCS find she is unfit to teach.

At a hearing in Edinburgh, Mcwilliam revealed that she was involved in a car accident in 2014 which resulted in the death of an elderly woman.

She said: “I turned to gambling to occupy my mind, but it became a crutch.”

Mcwilliam explained that she was now better at dealing with stress, and claimed the fact that she had not taken to gambling again after she found out her son was at the Ariane Grande concert targeted by a suicide bomber last month showed she was in control of the habit.

“I spoke to people in my support network, family members were up and around as well because they were anxious. I used my medication well, and used the people around me well and wisely.

“I am a good person that did a bad thing, I made a mistake. I would ask for fairness, to judge me by what I do.”

Mcwilliam admitted that she had gambled on occasion throughout the past year, but very rarely, and was undergoing counsellin­g and attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings.

Her son Grant gave evidence to the GTCS, telling them: “Before the accident, my mother was a socially active person.”

He added that after the incident, and around the time of her arrest she became “completely insular” and saw the house as a “safe haven”.

“She had to step away from the job and life she loved, she wouldn’t want to do that again.”

Mcwilliam’s defence lawyer, Jamie Foulis, admitted that his client’s ability to teach had been impaired, but insisted she is not unfit to teach.

But GTCS presenting officer, Deborah Russell said: “In my opinion, her insight is limited and the risk of recurrence remains.”

Mcwilliam repaid the money to the Duns Summer Festival committee after she was convicted of embezzleme­nt.

The GTCS will make its decision at a later date.

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