Salvation Army manager admits stealing $3,000

The Salvation Army’s former operations manager has been spared jail after admitting she stole $3,000 from her employer over a 26-month period ending in July 2010.

Provincial court Judge Mark Tyndale handed Beth Heyd, 52, a one-year conditional sentence on Friday. She must spend the first four months under house arrest. Heyd had pleaded guilty to one count of theft.

Tyndale said it was a serious breach of trust that was planned and deliberate with about three dozen transactions. Heyd augmented travel expenses, put them into an envelope and skimmed extra cash for her personal gain.

“The money was stolen from the Salvation Army, which is a charitable organization, and the money had been donated to them to benefit the less fortunate,” Tyndale said.

“She victimized, directly or indirectly, the poor and disadvantaged.”

Tyndale said the woman was likely able to obtain such a position of trust because she had no prior criminal record.

“This was a mature, educated woman who deliberately committed these offences,” he said. “She will pay restitution in full.”

Prosecutor Tiffany Dwyer, who argued for the conditional jail sentence, told court the Salvation Army indicated there were hundreds of criminal transactions, but the Crown would have difficulty proving many of them.

Among the ones to which Heyd admitted, they were valued at between $6 and $342.

Defence lawyer Batting had sought a suspended sentence with a period of probation for his client.

Heyd, before sentencing, apologized to her victims.

“I’d like to say I’m very sorry,” she told the judge. “There were stresses in my life, but there’s no excuse, I made wrong decisions.”

The judge ordered full restitution to be paid by Feb. 28. Batting said he has a cheque from his client that would go toward that payback.

Heyd must also perform 40 hours of community service.