Kathleen Broadhead - Photo - Courtesy : Facebook

By Lara Fominoff

Former Stirling Elementary School secretary receives conditional sentence for stealing nearly $90,000

Oct 9, 2019 | 4:06 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – There will be no jail time for a former Stirling Elementary School secretary who pleaded guilty to stealing $89,455.81 from the school where she used to work.

Instead, Kathleen Broadhead received a Conditional Sentence Order (CSO) of two years less a day, with six months house arrest, and 18 months under a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for pleading guilty to one count of theft over $5,000.

She may leave her home for church twice a week, for shopping once a week, and for medical appointments. She will not have to perform any community service.

The maximum sentence for theft over $5,000 was 10 years in prison, however, a recent amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada, allows for a conditional sentence order in certain circumstances.

Court heard that on August 16, 2018, Raymond RCMP received a complaint from Westwind School Division Superintendent Ken Sommerfeldt about cash that had gone missing.

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An internal audit was completed, which showed that no cash had been deposited in the school’s bank account in either 2017 or 2018 as required. Broadhead was the school secretary at the time and was not only in charge of the deposits, but also the school’s VISA credit card.

Several purchases appeared to have been made with the credit card that had nothing to do with school business. A subsequent external audit was then completed, which confirmed the school’s information.

The audits showed that $89,455.81 was unaccounted for. A meeting was then set up between Sommerfeldt, school representatives, and Broadhead – who then admitted to taking the money and using the credit card for personal items.

According to the Crown, two cash deposits – one of more than $33,000 and the other just over $45,000 were never completed, along with a third smaller deposit of close to $1,500. The VISA card was charged about $9,000.

A Pre-Sentence Report was completed which indicated that Broadhead may have suffered from a mental illness and has sought counselling. She has immediate family commitments that have been stressful, along with her husband’s work schedule.

Defense lawyer Robert Bissett told the judge Broadhead has no previous criminal record and so far, she has paid back $61,000 by re-mortgaging her home and borrowing money from friends and family.

She has also agreed to pay the Stirling Elementary School’s insurance company $500 per month until the remaining $28,455 has been paid off. She will be allowed to work from home to help do so in the meantime.

The judge told Broadhead that even though there were extraordinary circumstances in this case, if not for a Criminal Code amendment that took effect Sept. 19, 2019, she “wouldn’t be leaving the by the same doors you (she) entered.”