Westbury mother in court over pre-school cash theft
2:20pm Friday 12th March 2010 in
A mother-of-five who stole almost £10,000 from a Westbury pre-school will be sentenced next week after admitting charges of fraud and theft.
Claire Kirkham, 36, of Bremeridge Road, Westbury, plundered £9,567 from Kingfisher Pre-School in Arundel Close during her two years as chairman of the pre-school committee.
Kirkham admitted two counts of fraud and one of theft at Swindon Crown Court on February 19 and is due to be sentenced next Friday.
The allegations came to light in August 2008 when two of the nursery’s employees found their wage cheques had bounced.
This week a member of the pre-school’s new committee, who asked not to be named, said other volunteer committee members were horrified when Kirkham’s deceit came to light.
She said: “We were all in complete disbelief and shock when we discovered what had happened.
“The committee looked into the finances and found there was no money left. The bank was ready to close our account, but through the hard work of the staff and committee members we managed to keep the pre-school open to be the successful and thriving business it is and was before the incident.
“If we hadn’t have raised the money the group wouldn’t have opened for a new school year in September 2008.”
Mrs Kirkham, whose children attended the pre-school, quit the post when her crimes were revealed and the police were called.
The pre-school then had the difficult job of informing parents about what had happened.
The committee member added: “It wasn’t until she was properly charged that we sent a letter out to the parents saying that a committee member had been charged with theft and fraud from the pre-school, but we didn’t name her.
“We have been liaising with the Pre-School Learning Alliance and police all the way through. We’re relieved it’s almost over but saddened because we trusted her.”
The money Kirkham took would have been spent on staff wages and the running of the group, as well as going into reserves. The pre-school received funding from Wiltshire Council and revenue from fees paid by parents.
The pre-school, which has been open for 15 years, employs five people who look after 30 children.
Comments(51)
onthesofa
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5:44pm Fri 12 Mar 10
BooBeeMacFee
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11:00am Sat 13 Mar 10
cght36
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7:13pm Sat 13 Mar 10
kingfisher10
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8:40pm Sat 13 Mar 10
She was very clever, she did alot more than has been mentioned in this article. Hope she goes to prison for this, the hell she put this wonderful pre-school through.
cght36
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10:17pm Sat 13 Mar 10
Ah Diddums
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2:05pm Mon 15 Mar 10
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With two young kids? Your morals are as bad as hers!
cght36
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6:23pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Ah Diddums wrote:so having kids means you can pinch nearly £10k and get away with it?!!!!!! you do the crime you pay the price!!! Her kids are already getting picked on at school because of her, so theyre probably best off without her!
"i can imagine and hope she does go to prison too." . With two young kids? Your morals are as bad as hers!
talking of morals your a fine one to talk ive read some of the things youve wrote!!!
Ah Diddums
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6:28pm Mon 15 Mar 10
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My god. You're either one nasty **** or just plain sick in the head.....
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Next time you get a parking ticket we'll put your kids in care eh?
The Equestrian Statue
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6:42pm Mon 15 Mar 10
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Yes I bet they are with a nasty piece of work like you egging them on.
cght36
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8:29pm Mon 15 Mar 10
My child is actually friends with one of her children!
Get a life the pair of you or maybe a job!!!
Ah Diddums
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8:32pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Westbury1
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8:41pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Chesus
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9:02pm Mon 15 Mar 10
BooBeeMacFee
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9:04pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Westbury1 wrote:I agree with what you say. But the reason she is already paying a huge price and regreting her action is she got caught! If she hadnt would she of even given it two thoughts!
There is no denying that what she has done is very wrong but do you not all think that she is already paying a huge price for this? She now has to live with this for the rest of her life. And as for her children, the reason they will get picked on is because they are repeating what they have heard the grown ups around them say. Maybe we should all be far more careful about what we say in front of the children?
BooBeeMacFee
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9:10pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Chesus wrote:Chesus nobody is attacking totally innocent kids, all people are saying is if she stole the money and broke the law she needs to face the music! Everyone is allowed their opinion and if yours is not the same as the other persons you are not sick in the head, or a nasty piece of work! People are upset and affected in different ways and to different extremes. Her children will be more resiliant than people give them credit for. What you need to hope is that they didnt know she was doing it and grow up thinking that it is something you can do IF you really really get stuck! Or they DO connect her being punished with what she has done so they never make the same mistake!
What on earth has 'having a job' or not got to do with you attacking totally innocent kids? You really are a horrible tosser.
Chesus
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10:10pm Mon 15 Mar 10
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Does 'All' people include cght36 who think that depriving young kids of a mother would somehow equal justice for her being so stupid as to pinch some money? You can bet your life the poor cow has been suicidal over this.
kingfisher10
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10:29pm Mon 15 Mar 10
She is definately not sucidial over what she did, up untill she actually admitted her guilt, she was strutting around the school with a big smirk on her face and telling people she had ben set up. Like i have said before you DO NOT KNOW THE FULL STORY. Just remember this SHE STOLE FROM THE CHILDREN AT THE PRE SCHOOL AT THE END OF THE DAY. I do actually find your remarks offensive and clearly you have no idea what she did and the repercussions she has caused.
cght36
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10:41pm Mon 15 Mar 10
Chesus wrote:youve obviously got too much time on your hands, dimwit!!! my child doesnt know and will not find out from me either what their friends mother has done. i have not attacked innocent kids as you put it either. when you commit a crime you know that there are consequences if you get caught, and if she didnt want to pay the consequences for her actions, she shouldnt have dont the crime. this nursery couldve closed down due to her crimes. like i said before if she stole from you can you honestly say you wouldnt want her punished? i doubt it!!! talking of tossers the phrase "pot, kettle and black spring to mind!!!
What on earth has 'having a job' or not got to do with you attacking totally innocent kids? You really are a horrible tosser.
The Equestrian Statue
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10:49pm Mon 15 Mar 10
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An eye for an eye does not mean that her childrens eyesight should be part of the judgement.
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http://www.landoverb
aptist.org/
onthesofa
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5:58am Tue 16 Mar 10
Chesus
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9:51am Tue 16 Mar 10
Connie Lingus
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9:54am Tue 16 Mar 10
onthesofa
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9:59am Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33
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11:04am Tue 16 Mar 10
Chesus wrote:Listen to you all what a load of pathetic replies & justifications.
'all people are saying is if she stole the money and broke the law she needs to face the music!' . Does 'All' people include cght36 who think that depriving young kids of a mother would somehow equal justice for her being so stupid as to pinch some money? You can bet your life the poor cow has been suicidal over this.
This woman took from children, friends, people that knew and trusted her. Maybe she was stupid maybe she was niave and thick and seriously didnt realise the consequences of what she was doing, but at the end of the day she stole 10K from a charity based business not a fiver not £100 but 10K. Her children have nothing to do with this they have a father who will be there to support them through all this mess no doubt. I truly believe that she should go down for her crime as she has not showed an ounce of remorse or regret for anything and is still swannin around claiming her innocence - although she was the one who pleaded GUILTY!!!!! People can have their opinions they can judge, defend, hate whatever but take a step back from that abnd put it into this prospectus... your child wakes up christmas morning to find all their presents stolen from under your tree everything gone that you have worked hard for to put a smile on your childs face and some evil person has come and taken that from them & you.... How would you feel? cause im sure thats how the children the staff and the committee of Kingfisher feel about this woman, so just stop with all your pointless digs at each other cause none have you have suffered because of this.
Ah Diddums
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11:18am Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33
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11:25am Tue 16 Mar 10
Ah Diddums wrote:go leave your comments somewhere else , as you taking away from what this woman has done what she put her family, her friends, kingfisher, their staff, their children, their commitee through with your petty stilly remarks ! People could have lost their jobs because of this
It is absolutely appalling that the likes of sofa is allowed to work with vulnerable people. It fully explains why things go disastrously wrong so often.
BooBeeMacFee
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1:52pm Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33 wrote:I agree with you completly blahblahblah33. Why on earch are people **** at each other and loosing site of what she has done!
Ah Diddums wrote:go leave your comments somewhere else , as you taking away from what this woman has done what she put her family, her friends, kingfisher, their staff, their children, their commitee through with your petty stilly remarks ! People could have lost their jobs because of this
It is absolutely appalling that the likes of sofa is allowed to work with vulnerable people. It fully explains why things go disastrously wrong so often.
Ah Diddums
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3:19pm Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33 wrote:WT is a public site open for public comments. Until you own it I will leave my comments here as I please. If you don't like it please feel perfectly free to p1ss off onto another site. Off you go, run along now.
Ah Diddums wrote:go leave your comments somewhere else , as you taking away from what this woman has done what she put her family, her friends, kingfisher, their staff, their children, their commitee through with your petty stilly remarks ! People could have lost their jobs because of this
It is absolutely appalling that the likes of sofa is allowed to work with vulnerable people. It fully explains why things go disastrously wrong so often.
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Note:- I am NOT defending her and I really couldn't care less who she has ripped off. It's not my money. I am defending her kids who are totally innocent parties in this case. people such as cght36 using and encouraging their own kids to attack them in retaliation is sickening and disgusting.
cght36
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3:56pm Tue 16 Mar 10
Ah Diddums wrote:ah Diddums, you obviously need to go back to school and learn to read as nowhere in my posts have i talked about my kids threatening her kids!????????? my kids dont know anything about it and wont find out from me as ive previously said. if you read my post properly instead of talking utter nonsense you will realise what youve wrote is utter nonsense! nothing new there though is it???????
blahblahblah33 wrote:WT is a public site open for public comments. Until you own it I will leave my comments here as I please. If you don't like it please feel perfectly free to p1ss off onto another site. Off you go, run along now. . Note:- I am NOT defending her and I really couldn't care less who she has ripped off. It's not my money. I am defending her kids who are totally innocent parties in this case. people such as cght36 using and encouraging their own kids to attack them in retaliation is sickening and disgusting.Ah Diddums wrote: It is absolutely appalling that the likes of sofa is allowed to work with vulnerable people. It fully explains why things go disastrously wrong so often.go leave your comments somewhere else , as you taking away from what this woman has done what she put her family, her friends, kingfisher, their staff, their children, their commitee through with your petty stilly remarks ! People could have lost their jobs because of this
Ah Diddums
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4:17pm Tue 16 Mar 10
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Your own words attacking two innocent kids mother. I am sure they think you are a wonderful person if this has been read to them. Why not pick on someone a bit older? Try me I can fight back.
kingfisher10
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4:37pm Tue 16 Mar 10
Ah Diddums
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5:20pm Tue 16 Mar 10
kingfisher10 wrote:No I am NOT defending her! She has done wrong and will pay the price. That will be whatever the judge decides on Friday. Hands up anyone on here who has never stolen anything.
But in your own sick way you are defending her. You don't seem to understand what she has really done. Your "I couldn't care less attiude" is really quite sad. Everybody at the pre-school raised the monies she stole and we worked hard to get the money.
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Note the wording 'her children ATTENDED the school'. I.e. Kirkhams innocent kids have already been forced out of the school away from their friends for something that was nothing at all to do with them.
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chgt36 has said they were taking flak due to what their mother has done. What sort of parents would take it out on young kids because their has stole from them? That is what has happened and is what I find so sickening. These so called 'parents' are every bit as bad as Kirkham indeed they are worse. Stealing money is one thing, attacking kids is quite another.
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It is unfortunate that the library picture shows Kirkham laughing. I bet she is anything but laughing right now. IF she does get banged up on Friday I can't see her kids having very large grins neither.
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Personally I think a suspended sentence with restitution (if she has the means) would be right in this case.
blahblahblah33
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6:01pm Tue 16 Mar 10
Ah Diddums wrote:u obviously dont know any facts and are being a bystander making arguments ill feeling and stress for those that have been through this and know the facts. Her children still attend their school and at no point have i ever witnessed any parent saying or doing anything against her children in fact we all have hearts and actually feel for her poor children! The comments made about her kids getting stick im sure are to do with playground talk amongst kids being kids but u cant stop that and maybe thats what she should have considered ,
kingfisher10 wrote: But in your own sick way you are defending her. You don't seem to understand what she has really done. Your "I couldn't care less attiude" is really quite sad. Everybody at the pre-school raised the monies she stole and we worked hard to get the money.No I am NOT defending her! She has done wrong and will pay the price. That will be whatever the judge decides on Friday. Hands up anyone on here who has never stolen anything. . Note the wording 'her children ATTENDED the school'. I.e. Kirkhams innocent kids have already been forced out of the school away from their friends for something that was nothing at all to do with them. . chgt36 has said they were taking flak due to what their mother has done. What sort of parents would take it out on young kids because their has stole from them? That is what has happened and is what I find so sickening. These so called 'parents' are every bit as bad as Kirkham indeed they are worse. Stealing money is one thing, attacking kids is quite another. . It is unfortunate that the library picture shows Kirkham laughing. I bet she is anything but laughing right now. IF she does get banged up on Friday I can't see her kids having very large grins neither. . Personally I think a suspended sentence with restitution (if she has the means) would be right in this case.
Red Wheelbarrow
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8:04pm Tue 16 Mar 10
starwars
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8:40pm Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33
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8:49pm Tue 16 Mar 10
starwars wrote:lol :)
What if this lady is innocent? Do you all blindly believe what you read in the papers? So she pleaded guilty, doesn't mean she did it. There could very well be extenuating circumstances why she did plead guilty. Just stop **** about it and really, really think about it.
If I was accused of taking 10k from innocent children, nearly causing a reputable business to close and decieving my friends family & collegues no amount of of "extenuating circumstances" would make me plead gulity , I would however work with the police and the school to do all i could to prove my innocence and clear my name, I would never say oh i'm guilty but you know what i'm not really!
Just Another Troll
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9:51pm Tue 16 Mar 10
blahblahblah33
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11:18pm Tue 16 Mar 10
Just Another Troll wrote:a honey trap was used on Stagg but he NEVER pleaded guilty - A life was horifically & tragically taken in that case you really cant compare the 2 circumstances !
Colin Stagg
Red Wheelbarrow
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6:00pm Fri 19 Mar 10
old bert
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7:17am Sat 20 Mar 10
That is just TOO much! My security word is (on my mother's honour) "cash-this"!!!
blahblahblah33
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12:58pm Sat 20 Mar 10
old bert wrote:or just very clever fraudster maybe !!!!!!
VERY SLOPPY SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTING! Most business require two signatures on a cheque for cash wirthdrawal. They also have unannounced spot-checks on the bank balance of the day and compare that with what it should be. Someone learnt the hard way what my old Granny allus said, "Trusting is fine, but checking is much better" That is just TOO much! My security word is (on my mother's honour) "cash-this"!!!
cynical old anarchist
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6:11am Sun 21 Mar 10
of a punishment. No point in putting her in Prison, and having her kids put in care, is there? I expect she is sorry about it, and probably IS ashamed of herself. And who knows? There may have been extenuating circumstances. The way people are going on about it sounds like they would Tar and Feather her, and her children too! After all, it's only money! The implications of a custodial sentence would be a tad Draconian, for all concerned, and serve no purpose.
onthesofa
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10:47am Sun 21 Mar 10
Ah Diddums
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1:21pm Sun 21 Mar 10
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Yes but I wouldn't have been so daft as to leave one person to handle my bank account.
blahblahblah33
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3:21pm Sun 21 Mar 10
Ah Diddums wrote:Unless u know the facts please dont make judgements as your statement is untrue! This woman deceived her friends her family the children of the nursery to such a high degree u really have no idea of the impact her selfish ways have had! Now please everyone just leave it as talking about things u dont know about or have been through is just pointless and hurtfull to the people who have suffered !
'Would you feel the smae if she stole the money from you' . Yes but I wouldn't have been so daft as to leave one person to handle my bank account.
cynical old anarchist
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10:31am Mon 22 Mar 10
arses, and they fritter your poll tax away every year, and we just let them get on with it!
onthesofa
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2:43am Tue 23 Mar 10
Ah Diddums
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12:17pm Tue 23 Mar 10
onthesofa wrote:What a jolly good idea, What shall we call ourselfs?, Councillor Onthesofa Diddums seems to have a ring to it, Speaking of rings, DYTIUTA
You and Diddums the serial name changer are very sad and bitter with your obsession with this person,this has nothing to do with the story as usual and people are sick of you using any oppertunity to talk rubbish about this chap.Perhaps you 2 should go in for any councillor openings,on second thoughts dont bother as from both of your attitudes you wouldnt last 5 minutes and what has this person done to you all that is so bad n the first place.
onthesofa???.
bellend's are us
says...
1:14pm Tue 23 Mar 10
onthesofa wrote:dunno what your going on about sofa or whatever your name is,i worship councillor hawker a true legend,where would westbury be without him.bravo bravo.
You and Diddums the serial name changer are very sad and bitter with your obsession with this person,this has nothing to do with the story as usual and people are sick of you using any oppertunity to talk rubbish about this chap.Perhaps you 2 should go in for any councillor openings,on second thoughts dont bother as from both of your attitudes you wouldnt last 5 minutes and what has this person done to you all that is so bad n the first place.
cynical old anarchist
says...
10:38am Tue 30 Mar 10
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Claire Kirkham
Kingfisher Pre-School, Westbury
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Angel831 says...
4:52pm Fri 12 Mar 10
there is a saying about not **** on your won doorstep. she certainly doesnt know that one does she