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Gemma Waterhouse, a mother of two, left staff feeling “angry, betrayed and deceived” after falsifying signatures to divert the cash into her own pocket. According to HullLive, she admitted to a string of offences, her lawyer telling Hull Crown Court that she knew she had behaved “appallingly”.

Ms Waterhouse joined the committee of Leven Pre-school in 2011 and worked as its voluntary treasurer.

She admitted to siphoning off payments from January 2012 to January 2019.

The court reportedly heard that a total of £89,743 had been paid into accounts belonging to Ms Waterhouse, of Bewholme, near Hornsea, and her husband’s business.

The prosecution accepted that the actual total adjusted loss after repayments was £28,139.

She also admitted falsifying year-end financial reports and bank statements.

The court heard the school had received a letter from HMRC, received in January 2019 showing a £16,235 debt over failure to make PAYE and National Insurance contributions since April 2012.

It is said to have come as a surprise to manager Dawn Whiting as payslips suggested those payments had been made.

Ms Waterhouse was said to have changed the correspondence address to her home without other trustees and staff being aware.

She also changed committee meeting minutes concerning the pre-school’s bank account so that it only required one signature, HullLive reports.

Ms Waterhouse also falsified Ms Whiting’s signature.

Giles Bridge, prosecuting, said: “False balances helped to prolong the offending before the offences came to light.”

Ms Waterhouse told the court that she had been struggling financially for years and did not know how to manage the pre-school’s finances.

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She added that she had not know how to ask for help, and things had spiralled.

In reference to the breach of trust, staff felt, Ms Waterhouse said: “I know and that makes me feel worse. I have to put it right. I want to try and put it right but I need time. It’s all gone. There’s nothing left.”

Rachel Scott, mitigating, said that Ms Waterhouse had no previous convictions and had two children to care for.

Ms Waterhouse’s online bespoke gift business had been closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms Scott continued: “She fully understands that this is an offence that offends the public trust and that it’s disgraceful.

“It started with a little bit of borrowing here and there and got completely out of hand. It put people’s jobs at risk.

“It was not what she intended when she started this offending.”

Ms Waterhouse had “gone and done this in order to keep the family finances afloat,” Ms Scott said, “which, of course, is absolutely no excuse”.

She added: “She doesn’t want to deflect any sort of blame here.”

Ms Waterhouse behaved in an “appalling” manner, her defence said.

Recorder Alex Menary told Ms Waterhouse she had “fallen an awful long way” by falsifying the pre-school accounts.

He added: “The staff who work there are volunteers and put in long hours.

“This was sophisticated in nature because it wasn’t just the case that you were putting your hand in the till on occasion.”

Recorder Menary said it was “the grossest abuse of trust” imaginable, adding that the money was intended “for the children”.

He jailed Ms Waterhouse for 18 months.

Additional reporting by Mark Naylor, Humber Court Reporter

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