Mum in tears after her £10,000 swindle of school funds saw kids' disco cancelled

A mother wept in court after it was revealed her £10,000 swindle saw a primary school's disco cancelled. Nicola Kennerley secretly siphoned off thousands of pounds from the parent and teacher association's funds over the course of several years while serving as its treasurer. The 49-year-old bank worker then spent this stolen cash on her Amazon Prime subscription and Xbox games.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday that Kennerley served as treasurer for the parent and teacher association at Holy Family Catholic Primary School in Halewood between 2019 and 2024, with the organisation having raised funds for events, equipment and trips for pupils. One "betrayed" fellow volunteer addressed Kennerley in court and said: "I thought we were friends, I don't think I will ever understand why you did what you did." Kennerley, from Huyton, Liverpool announced in April of last year that she would be stepping down from this role as treasurer and indicated to her successor that there were "no funds left for the rest of the year".

Hannah Darling, prosecuting, described how this led to suspicions arising as the new treasurer believed there to be around £1,800 to be left in the PTA's funds. Kennerley went on to suggest closing the bank account with Barclays, where she was employed as a mortgage advisor, which was under her control and opening a new one due to "difficulties changing the signatory".

The Liverpool Echo reports that Kennerley then provided a remaining balance of £1,720, monies which she was said to have borrowed from her dad, she did not supply the school with any bank statements until September of 2024. When these were disclosed, it was discovered that around £10,000 had gone missing from the account, with suspicious transactions having included payments for Amazon Prime, Amazon Music and Xbox subscriptions.

When interviewed by police in February 2025, Kennerley told detectives that she had been in an abusive relationship and "became dependent on alcohol to cope", leading to her "using funds to stay afloat financially". She added that she "always intended to put it back", having used the funds to pay for petrol and at a shop near to her home.

In a statement which was read to the court, the PTA's new treasurers said: "Our children lost out on valuable opportunities and experiences. We were unable to hold discos and summer fairs. We have worked hard to repair the damage. Despite challenges, we have managed to raise enough money to provide events for our family."

Kennerley was also said to have "failed to submit timely returns to the Charity Commission", leading to the PTA being refused grants for funding. Heidi Green, whom the defendant recruited as co-chairman of the PTA, said in her own statement that she had been left "overwhelmed, disappointed, betrayed, heartbroken and upset" by her actions.

She said: "I feel betrayed that someone I considered a friend would put me in a position to be manipulated. I feel like an idiot. I don't think I will ever understand why you did what you did and how you could put me in the situation you have.

"I put my trust in Nicola as a friend and thought the financial side of the PTA would be well taken care of. The real victims of this crime are the pupils of Holy Family Catholic Primary School. It is also the victims who have donated their hard earned money to the PTA, believing it was going towards the children."

Kennerley has no previous convictions. Andrew McInnes, defending, told the court his client gave "full and frank" admissions in interview and provided an explanation "in part". He added: "As time went on, the amounts became larger. Like a snowball going downhill, she could not pay them back. She says to me that, at times, she tried to put money back into the account. Also, some of the Amazon payments, she claims, were for things used by the PTA, but she accepts that the amount was in the region of £10,000."

Kennerley admitted one count of fraud by abuse of position. Appearing in court wearing all black, she burst into tears and wiped her eyes with a tissue after being handed a 14-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

Sentencing, Recorder Nicholas Flanagan said: "Over a five-year period, outwardly, you were volunteering as a trustee for Holy Family Catholic Primary school's parent and teacher association. It was clear that you had been siphoning off money into your own accounts for your own purposes.

"You were spending that money in local shops and on services, and even Amazon Prime. Your offending had a significant impact on the children, who missed events and numerous opportunities."