Yahoo News Headteacher accused of using school credit card to splash out on New York trip and new laptop, court hears
A headmistress used school money to fund a luxurious trip to New York during term-time, a court has heard.
Melanie Rose, who also worked as an Ofsted inspector, stands accused of using school finances to finance an unauthorised trip across the Atlantic in December 2012.
The 45-year-old, of Loughton, Essex, is also said to have purchased an Apple laptop worth more than £2,000 for her husband, used petty cash to cover staff meals and restaurants, and claimed £1,100 for a taxi fare.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, the former head was accused of abusing her position by dishonestly claiming the expenses between January 2009 and August 2013.
It is alleged that Mrs Rose used petty cash claims and the school credit card to cover the costs of her activities, which remained hidden until she left prior to the 2013/14 academic year.
It was only during an audit of the school’s accounts following her departure, that the scale of Rose’s spending is said to have been uncovered.
However, under her leadership the school’s academic standards appear to have improved, with an Ofsted inspection in November 2012 upgrading its rating from satisfactory to good.
In their report, inspectors singled out Mrs Rose for praise, describing her as an “outstanding leader” whose management of the school is “highly effective”.
On two counts of fraud, she is alleged to have misrepresented the true cost of a taxi fare, thought to be a fraction of that claimed, and for claiming expenses back for hotel accommodation during an unauthorised leave of absence.
The other relates to the purchase of a computer in 2011, which the prosecution claims was for her own personal use.
She denies three counts of fraud.
Judge Nicholas Huskinson set her trial, which is set to last five days, for 4 September.
