'We're in financial ruin....'

'We're in financial ruin, I stole £53,000': What headmaster told wife after pilfering funds from his primary school to fund online gambling addiction
Andrew Wilkie was caught out after anonymous tip-off
On day of urgent audit by county council, he told his wife: 'We're in financial ruin'
He then confessed to the chair of school governors
By Nick Enoch

A headmaster stole more than £53,000 from his school to fund his gambling addiction.
Andrew Wilkie, principal at Southdown Primary School in Buckley, north Wales, had already lost his life savings on online poker sites and had remortgaged his family home.

So he started helping himself to school funds to further fuel his addiction.

Wilkie, 41, of Buckley, admitted to the theft when the school was threatened with an emergency audit after an anonymous tip-off, Wrexham Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

The money was taken by credit transfer between March 31 and October 19 last year.
Matthew Ellis, prosecuting, said Flintshire Council had received two anonymous letters urging it to investigate the misuse of funds at the school.

On October 18, Flintshire's education department notified the school it was going to carry out an urgent audit of school funds.
By the end of that day, Mr Ellis said Wilkie was described as 'clearing his desk'.
He went home and told his wife: 'We're in financial ruin, I've stolen £53,000 from the school.'
Wilkie then contacted the school governors and said: 'Come round and see me now, it's urgent.'

He told the chairman of governors: 'I've done something very wrong and it's going to have big implications for the school.'

Mr Ellis said Wilkie went on to explain he had a gambling problem and had spent all his family savings on online poker websites, had had to remortgage his home, and was now using the school's money.

Wilkie, who was immediately suspended from his post when the discovery was made, pleaded guilty to stealing a total of £53,438 from Southdown Primary.

Wrexham Magistrates said their powers were not sufficient to sentence Wilkie because of the large amount of money involved.

The case was committed for sentencing to Chester Crown Court on March 15 and Wilkie was granted unconditional bail.