Sister of McConnell escapes jail over theft

THE sister of former First Minister Jack McConnell was spared jail yesterday despite stealing thousands of pounds from a disabled pensioner.

Anne McConnell, 52, took £9,000 from the bank account of 80-yearold Janet Noteman, who suffers from severe arthritis, while working as her carer on Arran.

She had hoped her Labour peer brother would help her pay the money back – but he refused.

McConnell managed to obtain Miss Noteman’s bank card and PIN number and emptied her savings account between February and August 2015. Her theft came to light when she went on sick leave and the pensioner noticed the money was gone.

McConnell told police she stole it ‘because of the menopause’ and needed it to pay her mortgage.

She could have been jailed for a year at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court yesterday. But she was given a Community Payback Order (CPO) requiring her to carry out

‘I want to deal with this today’

unpaid work and pay compensation to the bank, which had earlier reimbursed the victim.

McConnell admitted her guilt earlier this year and the case was adjourned on several occasions for her to raise the money she stole before being sentenced.

Last month it emerged McConnell, who now lives in Kilmarnock, had sold her three-bedroom home in Whiting Bay, Arran, for £95,000.

Yesterday, defence solicitor Gordon Ghee told Kilmarnock Sheriff Court: ‘There seems to be at least £10,000 of equity which could pay the balance due to the complainer.’

He asked Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlane if she wanted to adjourn the case for a final time to ensure everything went through as planned.

She replied: ‘I really don’t. I want to deal with this today.’

She placed McConnell on a CPO requiring her to pay compensation to the bank within 28 days and gave her six months to carry out 225 hours’ unpaid work.

A Proceeds of Crime hearing is scheduled for later this year.