Parents lose trust in Fareham school rocked by £31,000 staff fraud

Tamasin Gregory, 45 from East Stratton, after leaving Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday, January 18 - where she was given a suspended sentence for pilfering more than 30,000 from Redlands Primary School's coffers over a three-year period. Picture: Byron Melton

In good faith parents at Redlands Primary School, in Fareham, paid in cash for school trips.

But unknown to them business manager Tamasin Gregory, 45, of East Stratton, siphoned off more than £31,000 into her own account to cover debts from her addict husband.

As reported, she was handed a two-year prison term suspended for two years with 100 hours’ unpaid work and 10 days of rehabilitation.

A spokeswoman for Hampshire County Council said: ‘Thankfully, incidences of fraud in Hampshire schools are rare but the impact, as in this case, is significant.

‘It affects not just the school’s budget and reputation but also parental trust and the educational experiences of the children.

‘It is reassuring that the individual at the centre of this case has been brought to justice today in the conclusion of criminal proceedings.’

Fraudster Gregory stole £31,128.79 from Redlands Primary School over a three-year period from April 2014, Portsmouth Crown Court heard on Friday.

As the school’s business manager, she callously siphoned parents' money for school trips and activities into her own account on 91 separate occasions.

But it was not until she took the same role at another school in 2017 that her replacement discovered stark inconsistencies between money paid to Redlands and money banked.

Prosecuting, Rob Griffiths said: ‘The new business manager notified the county council. An auditor went to the school, identified discrepancies and wrote to the defendant asking her to attend an interview.’