Jailed headteacher's sentence cut

A lack of money at the school meant teachers cleaned classrooms

A headteacher jailed for stealing £82,000 from her school has had her five-year sentence cut by a year.

Former-nun Colleen McCabe, 51, was convicted of theft and deception charges in September 2003.

The prosecution said she stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from St John Rigby College in London - but the charges involved only £82,000.

The Court of Appeal held there was "some force" in the argument the original sentence was excessive.

McCabe, of Sidcup, south-east London, spent the money on jewellery, fine restaurants, holidays and trips on the Orient Express.

When a head teacher descends to this level of dishonesty, pupils' values are undermined. If they can't trust their head teacher, who can they trust? Mr Justice Royce

She also ran up a bill of £7,000 for shoes alone.

Meanwhile the school library lay virtually empty, pupils had to suffer unheated classrooms and teachers were responsible for cleaning their own classrooms.

McCabe, who denied deception, was in court.

Mr Justice Roy told the court: "The quality and degree of trust placed in her were very high. Pupils looked to her for example.

"When a head teacher descends to this level of dishonesty, pupils' values are undermined. If they can't trust their head teacher, who can they trust?"

The judge, sitting with Judge Findlay Baker QC, said McCabe had shown "no hint of remorse".