School business manager brought in to tackle school’s £2million deficit ... steals £120,000 to pay off HIS debts

By Ted Thornhill

A business manager brought in to tackle a school's £2million debt stole £120,000 from its bank account to pay off his £30,000 credit card bill.
Mark Shepherd, who worked at Wentworth High School in Eccles, Greater Manchester, also took money to make a string of improvements at his home in Bolton.
He even bought a Smart car using the school's account, before selling it on and pocketing the profit.
Shepherd, 41, told his churchgoing wife - who knew nothing about the deception - that he had won the cash on the premium bonds.
He was only caught when a colleague discovered the school was renting two storage units in Salford. The school was paying for both but one was being used to store Shepherd's personal belongings.
He was arrested and hauled before Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, where he admitted four counts of fraud by abuse of position between June 2007 and December 2010.

He carried out 37 fraudulent transactions worth £121,732.
Shepherd, who was paid £37,000 a year, began taking money just weeks after he was appointed in 2007.
His first offence was taking £500 by cashing cheques meant for the school's petty cash. By November 2007 he had taken £12,000.

The fraud then became more sophisticated and he transferred money via the internet from the school's account to his own.
He also persuaded colleagues to counter-sign bogus cheques by lying about what they were for.
In September 2010, Shepherd purchased a Smart car using the school's debit card. He later sold it. Shepherd also paid a garage £529 to fit new brake disks to a vehicle. It was entered as 'minibus' on school accounts - but was actually his wife's car.
Shepherd had negative equity on the family home as well as huge credit card debts.

Det Con Keith Thompson, of Salford CID, said: ‘He spent a lot of money on their home to improve it to get out of negative equity with an extension and a new bathroom. Shepherd is a broken man. He always thought things would turn around. He was trying to improve the value of his house. He admitted the offences from the outset.’
When police went to arrest Shepherd at his new home in Horwich, he was not there - having gone for a test to become an HGV driver.
A police source said: ‘He realised a change of career was needed.’
Shepherd will be sentenced on September 19. His conviction ends a turbulent few months for Wentworth High.
Earlier this year, headteacher Jeremy Keeble resigned. He had been suspended pending an investigation into alleged financial mismanagement at the school.
There was no criminal investigation or suggestion of criminal behaviour by Mr Keeble.
Despite being heavily in the red, the school is described by Ofsted as 'good' and providing 'outstanding care' for pupils.