A former charity worker convicted of embezzling nearly £9,000 of cash earmarked for grieving children has been struck off the nursing register.
Deborah Gallagher stole money from the Highland-based Crocus Group, which helps youngsters who have lost a friend or relative, sometimes by organising trips.
But she abused her position of trust as a charity co-ordinator by faking invoices for events that never took place and channelling the cash to her own bank account.
Gallagher, of Inverness, previously admitted the dishonesty offence of embezzling £8,824.49 at Inverness Sheriff Court in April 2016.
The court heard at the time that she pocketed the cash to feed her online gambling habit which she developed when her father became ill.
And a panel for the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) found this week at a hearing in Edinburgh that her fitness to practice is impaired. Gallagher voluntarily did not attend the hearing.
A report by the industry watchdog described her actions as “deplorable”, adding: “Mrs Gallagher’s conviction involved the embezzlement of funds from a children’s charity.
“Her failings involve actions which are unlawful, as well as reprehensible by the standards of the profession. The panel has identified a significant risk of repetition as a result of Mrs Gallagher’s complete lack of any meaningful insight, remorse, or remediation of her failures.
“The panel considered that members of the public would be significantly troubled about a member of the nursing profession being permitted to continue to practise in all the circumstances of this case.”
The NMC report states that she carried out the offences on seven occasions between April 2013 and November 2014.
She was convicted of embezzlement in April 2016 and sentenced to a community payback order in June last year, with the requirement that she undertakes 100 hours of unpaid work. Sentence was repeatedly deferred for her to make repayment.
The NMC report also said that, through her failings, she has demonstrated a “complete lack of integrity.”
It added that, prior to these incidents, Gallagher had a long nursing career without previous regulatory concern.
The report said that Gallagher may not apply for restoration (to the nursing register) until five years after the date this decision takes effect.
She will have 28 days to appeal the determination from when written notice of the result of the hearing has been served on her.
Gallagher could not be contacted for comment.
