A school cleaner who stole cash meant for pupils’ Christmas cards has been told to pay compensation to the children.
Lillian Craig, 56, opened a filing cabinet at Kellands Primary School in Inverurie on three occasions and swiped a total of £179.50.
At a sentencing hearing on Wednesday, Craig was told to do 80 hours unpaid work in the next 12 months.
She must also stick to the terms of a 12-month supervision order and pay £300 in compensation to the school.
Sheriff Ian Wallace told Craig: “This offence constituted a significant breach of trust as you were working at the school at the time they were carried out.
“In being made to pay the school £300 for the children, I am hoping you will be able to restore the school’s trust in you.”
Aberdeenshire Council has previously said Craig is no longer employed by the school.
At a previous hearing in September, Craig, whose address was given in court as Blackhall Wynd, Inverurie, admitted three counts of forcing open a lockfast filing cabinet by using a key to steal the money at the school, which is on Upper Manse Road, Inverurie.
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The first incident took place on December 16 2016.
On the date, Craig opened the filing cabinet in a classroom and stole £98 that had been collected by a teacher for a Christmas party. It was another 10 months before the next offence, which took place on September 29 2017.
Craig stole £71.50 which was part of a collection from children for Christmas cards.
The final incident took place on October 11 2017, when Craig stole £10.
This was money stolen that had been left inside a plastic tub on a table in one of the classrooms.
At a previous hearing, Sheriff Wallace was told that Craig had suffered a bereavement due to the death of her partner in 2015.
Defence solicitor John Hardie said: “Following that trauma, and the debt that left her in, she began to drink excessively.
“That’s as far as she is able to provide any explanation. She was in enormous financial difficulties.”
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