Harry Potter and the vanishing £24,000 JK Rowling sues former PA over credit card spree
HARRY Potter author JK Rowling is suing her former PA for £24,000 for allegedly stealing memorabilia and using a company credit card on a spending spree.
The writer, 53, claims Amanda Donaldson took Harry Potter merchandise and spent thousands behind her back, including £1,600 on Starbucks coffee.
Donaldson, 35, began working for Miss Rowling in February 2014 but was sacked last April after Miss Rowling’s husband uncovered the alleged fraud when the PA stole money intended for a Christmas party. Legal papers filed by Miss Rowling, who has a £650million fortune, claim that mother-of-two Donaldson, of Lanarkshire, wrongly benefited to a value of £23,696.32 by using a business credit card to buy high-end cosmetics, food and even two luxury cats.
Donaldson, who had responsibility for company funds, is alleged to have ‘fraudulently’ marked entries on company accounts as either for business or personal use by her boss. The financial inaccuracies were picked up by accountants last February.
The former PA, who controlled memorabilia requests from fans, is also accused of using her position to help herself to collectors’ items, including a Harry Potter Wizard Collection worth £2,231.76.
Miss Rowling says the toys were taken without her ‘knowledge or consent’. The author also claimed Donaldson took £7,742 of foreign money from a safe.
The alleged fraud began to unravel when Miss Rowling’s husband Neil Murray, 47, contacted a restaurant in Edinburgh to check that Donaldson had organised and paid £400 for a 2016 Christmas party. But court documents state that the event at Castle Terrace Restaurant was never arranged despite Donaldson allegedly taking the deposit from Miss Rowling’s business account. Donaldson denies the claims and states that the purchases were business- related, including ‘arranging coffee and cake for monthly meetings’. She said Miss Rowling had ‘not suffered any loss and is not entitled to damages’ from her.
A spokesman for Miss Rowling said: ‘I can confirm she has taken legal action against her former personal assistant Amanda Donaldson following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust.
‘As the case is not yet concluded, we are not able to comment further and there won’t be any comment from JK Rowling.’ The case is due to return to Airdrie Sheriff Court next month.
Miss Rowling wed her second husband Mr Murray, a doctor, in a private ceremony in 2001.
She has an estimated fortune of £650million thanks to book sales of more than 400million. The Edinburgh-based author, who also writes crime novels under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, has given away millions from her fortune to fund charity work.