PTA treasurer stole £11,500 from private school's minibus fund... then paid it back to cover child's tuition fees

  • Carol Payne used her role as treasurer of Highclare School's PTA to steal
  • Birmingham Magistrates' Court used the money to pay fees at the school, which charges almost £11,000 a year for secondary education
  • Payne was chosen for the role because of her background in accountancy

By William Turvill

Published: 07:47 EST, 28 February 2014 | Updated: 10:12 EST, 28 February 2014

Carol Payne stole £11,500 from a private school's minibus fund to pay school fees at the institution

Carol Payne stole £11,500 from a private school's minibus fund to pay school fees at the institution

A mother stole £11,500 from a private school's minibus fund – to pay a child’s tuition fees at the institution.

Carol Payne, 31, used her role as treasurer of the parent-teacher association at Highclare School, in Birmingham, to steal from the group’s bank account.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard Payne, who was chosen for the PTA role because of her background in accountancy, used the money to pay for fees at the school, which charges almost £11,000 a year for secondary education.

Jason Corden-Bowen, prosecuting, said Payne, of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, ignored requests for bank statements from fellow PTA members.

But she was caught when volunteers who deposited cash into the Lloyds account discovered it contained just £8,000 – around £10,000 less than expected.

Mr Corden-Bowen said: ‘The PTA was established as a charitable organisation, a charity run by the parents at the school who organised events for raising funds for various things.

‘Most recently they were trying to raise funds for a school minibus.’

Mr Corden-Bowen said Payne had sole responsibility and access of the accounts when she became treasurer in September 2012.

He said she was chosen because she was an accountant or former accountant and could ‘bring that experience to the charity’.

But he said it later emerged there were ‘a number of payments and transfers which appeared not to make any sense and appeared to have gone to the defendant’s own business’.

Mr Corden-Bowen said Payne met other PTA members and the matter was reported to the police.

She admitted stealing the cash and spending it on bills and tuition fees at the school.

The court heard she ‘felt bad’ about what she had done.

Payne used the money she stole to pay fees at Highclare School, which cost up to around £11,000 a year

Payne used the money she stole to pay fees at Highclare School, which cost up to around £11,000 a year

Mike O’Mahoney, defending, said Payne had fully co-operated with the police.

Magistrates sent to the case to Birmingham Crown Court.

Payne, who was given unconditional bail, was told to appear there on March 26.

Highclare has three bases in Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and offers places for children from nursery age through to sixth form.

The school confirmed it was aware of the court case but said headteacher Margaret Viles was unavailable for comment.

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