A FINANCE officer stole more than $110,000 from a Launceston primary school over six years.
Ellen Irene Amy Tiller manipulated accounts, cashed cheques and transferred money at Larmenier Primary School between 2005 and 2011.
The 48-year-old mother of two and Sea Scout volunteer had pleaded guilty to 145 dishonesty offences involving the school, and appeared in the Hobart Supreme Court yesterday for sentencing submissions.
Defence lawyer Kim Baumeler told Justice David Porter that the money was not spent on maintaining an extravagant lifestyle, but was used for living expenses and to pay a mortgage.
She said the crimes started with Tiller moving funds and paying them back but they soon ‘‘snowballed’’.
‘‘There wasn’t the capacity to pay back what was taken,’’ Ms Baumeler told the court.
‘‘There appeared to be very little supervision from anyone in the school itself,’’ she said.
Ms Baumeler said Tiller was still a volunteer with scouts, and now planned to pay the money back.
Crown prosecutor Rebecca Lancaster said the crimes were discovered when an internal audit of the school’s accounts found many irregular transactions.
After almost $20,000 was identified by staff, Tiller resigned and later paid the amount back.
However, a full audit by a private company found $110,603.19 had been stolen, including the use of 40 blank cheques totalling about $76,000.
Almost 30 electronic transfers were made to steal funds to the tune of $27,000.
Ms Baumeler told the court that jail time would have a significant impact on Tiller’s children.
She said Tiller had suffered public embarrassment, and the length of the proceedings had caused her family stress and anxiety.
Tiller was remanded in custody to be sentenced on April 15.
