UK Edition
PTA boss who stole £35k of school fete money spared jail because of son's GCSEs
A parent teacher association boss who stole £35,000 of school fete money has been spared jail because her son is about to sit his GCSEs.
Sally Connolly, 43, had been a highly respected PTA chairman at Roman Catholic primary school St Catherine's School in Didsbury, Greater Manchester.
But while parents busied themselves raising cash for their children's education, the married mother of two was secretly helping herself to the hard-earned funds.
She used the money from school fetes and afternoon teas to pay off her credit card bills.
The cash, which was taken between 2010 and 2015, was paid into accounts belonging to Connolly's 47-year-old husband John, who works as a senior trainer for a catering company, and her unsuspecting mother.
Neither was aware of the source of the money.
Police were called in after inquiries revealed there was cash missing from the school's PTA account and Connolly went into the 500 pupil school and confessed taking money in front of governors and the headmistress.
Embarrassingly for the school, PTA cheques had bounced including a payment to Francis House, a children's hospice based in Manchester, for £1,500. Connolly had also stolen £600 from a Christmas party fund.
At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Connolly, who previously lived in a rented £450,000 detached home in Cheadle near Stockport, had faced jail.
But she wept as she escaped with two years jail suspended for two years after she paid back £20,000 of the missing money.
Passing sentence, Judge Angela Nield told Connolly: "There's little public benefit to be gained by sending you to an immediate term of custody.
The main people to suffer would be your family, your parents who don't enjoy the best of health and your children, particularly your son who would lose the support and comfort of his mother during what will be a very important GCSE year.
"I'm told that your life and that of your family have in consequence been torn apart. It's clear at the time of these offences you were in difficult financial circumstances - although desperate and difficult financial circumstances are not an excuse for criminal behaviour."
Connolly and her children now live with her parents whilst her husband lives with his parents. He is standing by her.
However, the woman who took over from Connolly as head of the PTA has hit out at her "betrayal".
In a statement, Gillian Rennison said: "It's so sad the children at the school and those left will not have the benefit from the money raised. This includes £19,000 raised by the PTA - before she took over - due to hard work and generosity.
"Parents expected that to benefit their children but only £4,390 was provided in 2011 to the school and that was the only figure provided whilst Sally was the chair. Four years of hard work for nothing and a betrayal of trust.
"This whole situation has made me and fellow committee members feel sick, angry and betrayed. I've no doubt these feelings will extend to the many parents in the school.
"The actions of one person can take so much from innocent children at the school. We are seeking to protect the good reputation of the school and will have to show there are processes and procedures in place to show this will never happen again.
"The repercussions of this terrible situation will stay with the school for a very long time. I can hope the community can move forward and put this behind them and continue to work together for the benefit of the children."
Headmistress, Janina Chwastek added: "St Catherine's is based on love, respect and compassion. Honesty is at the centre of our message, this is something our children know and understand and they look towards the adults.
"There's a breakdown of trust and confidence in St Catherine's."