Mum and pre-school treasurer stole almost £90,000 meant for kids in ‘disgraceful’ fraud

The court heard the “disgraceful” fraud continued undetected for a number of years which bosses of the pre-school described as a “complete nightmare”, Hull Crown Court heard

A mum and pre-school treasurer stole £90,000 from a charity which was meant for young children in a “disgraceful” fraud.

Trustees and staff were left feeling “very angry, betrayed and deceived” by Gemma Waterhouse’s fraud which bosses of the pre-school described as a “complete nightmare”..

A court heard the actual loss after repayments was £28,139 but the fraud continued undetected for a number of years.

HullLive reports that mother-of-two Waterhouse hid the losses and forged the manager’s signature.

Pre-school bosses told Hull Crown Court it was a “terrible, damaging ordeal”

Waterhouse, 39, of Bewholme, East Yorkshire, admitted fraud by transferring money from a charity bank account between January 2012 and January 2019.

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

Giles Bridge, prosecuting, said that Waterhouse was on Leven Pre-school’s committee and worked as the voluntary treasurer.

A letter from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs was received in January 2019 showing a £16,235 debt over failure to make Pay As You Earn and staff National Insurance payments since April 2012.

It came as a surprise to…