Thieving head forged cheques

McCabe was described as "something of a bully"

Colleen McCabe was described in court as "something of a bully" whose staff were afraid to challenge her.

Two years after she became head teacher and after the school left local authority control to become centrally funded, she began to use its funds to pay for a champagne lifestyle.

Prosecutor Andrew Wilcken told the trial she largely controlled the £3m annual budget of the school, which had almost no "appropriate" financial controls.

McCabe was jailed at Southwark Crown Court on Monday for five years for stealing approximately £500,000 from Catholic St John Rigby College in West Wickham, south-east London.

Her trial heard how she forged the signature of former vice principal Michael Kelly on cheques and used the school's "corporate" Barclaycard to pay for her lavish lifestyle.

'Mysterious disappearance'

Her dishonesty was aided by both the school's grant-maintained status and a regime where "no one dared sneeze without her permission".

But when the school returned to voluntary status under Bromley Education Authority umbrella, council auditors found something was seriously wrong.

Many financial records had "mysteriously disappeared", but they discovered school funds being spent on items such as £1,500 champagne receptions at West End musicals.

In respect of the college, much good work has been done in recent years Archdiocese of Southwark

Judge Christopher Elwen told McCabe it was not for him to comment how her dishonesty "escaped the attention of the governors and auditors for so long".

He added: "Others may have their own views."

Since McCabe left the school it has returned to voluntary aided status.

Dishonest acts

The Archdiocese of Southwark, which has joint responsibility for the school along with the local education authority released a statement after the sentencing.

"It is highly regrettable that Colleen McCabe abused her position at the school, committing acts of dishonesty between 1995 and 1999.

"The offences took place during a period when the school opted out of Diocesan and Local Education Authority control to become Grant Maintained.

"This was against the then Diocesan policy. St John Rigby College has since returned to voluntary aided status.

"In respect of the college, much good work has been done in recent years.

"A new head teacher, Mr John Stanley, was appointed in March 2000. In February 2001 the College received a good Ofsted Report with a comment praising the leadership of the new headteacher."