A school administration manager has avoided a full-time jail term after pleading guilty to stealing more than $40,000, including money raised by students for a Christmas bushfire appeal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Instead, 55-year-old Sally Maree Sharp of Beneree Road, Tallwood will serve her 12-month jail sentence in the community after being handed an intensive corrections order when she appeared in Bathurst Local Court this week.
Sharp, who had been employed as Millthorpe Public School's administration manager, appeared before magistrate Bruce Williams on Monday charged with eight counts of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage or causing disadvantage by deception.
The charges relate her failure to deposit $1350 raised by students for charity as well as unauthorised purchases at Bunnings in Orange and Bathurst, the Blayney IGA and Orange Officeworks, as well as false reimbursements and the cancellation of receipts for payments at Millthorpe Public School.
Sharp's solicitor, Mason Manwaring, said while the money has yet to be repaid his client's employer was entitled to keep payments owing from long service leave and other entitlements.
He said while there would be a shortfall it was his client's intention to do what she could to repay the full amount of about $44,000. "It won't be easy for her, but that is her intention," he said.
In written submissions, Mr Manwaring said his client, a mother of three, had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
While he conceded her conduct could warrant a custodial sentence he said there were objective and subjective features of the case that could allow her the mercy of serving the sentence within the community.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Mr Manwaring acknowledged the theft was not insignificant and involved a breach of trust, but said his client came before the court without any prior criminal convictions and was unlikely to reoffend.
In sentencing, Mr Williams said as the early guilty plea entitled Sharp to a 25 per cent discount on sentence.
He said people in the community would have "a real abhorrence" to the theft of money raised by children for a Christmas appeal. He said the offences were more serious because they went over a period of time and because the thefts were from her employer.
"People in charge can only rely on the honesty of people working in the operation of the business," Mr Williams said.
"It's very easy for people to hide their offending behaviour and in this case it is worse with the forgery of people's signatures."
Sharp was sentenced to 12 months jail to be served as an ICO. She was also ordered to undertake 75 hours community service.