A Dunedin woman who stole more than $20,000 from a local charity has been given an ultimatum to pay the money back or face potential jail time.
Jacqueline Elizabeth McKenzie (45) used a company credit card to buy $21,024 worth of personal items while working as branch manager of charity organisation Schizophrenia Fellowship Otago between July 2011 and November 2013.
The purchases included travel, holidays, food and alcohol. Judge Kevin Phillips ordered McKenzie to pay the money back before her sentencing on September 11, and provide a full report detailing expenditure, or face a potential jail term of two to three years.
A dispute of facts hearing was scheduled for yesterday regarding the amount of money taken, but McKenzie had since agreed to the figure.
A former chairman of the organisation, Richard Linscott, said he was relieved McKenzie had finally acknowledged what had happened.
''For the reputation of the organisation, it's important for us to have done this out in the open, particularly given the importance of the relationship with our funders.
''We want this not to happen to other organisations. The funds are also important but the aim, in particular, was to have some conclusion around what's transpired.''
Judge Phillips told McKenzie home detention was the likely punishment if the money was paid back on time.
Asked whether McKenzie should be sent to prison, Mr Linscott replied, ''You never get satisfaction out of those sorts of things''. He did not want to discuss how the fraud was perpetrated.
Mr Linscott said travel and holiday expenses McKenzie had incurred
were local and not considered extravagant.
''There was a fair amount of management of what was happening to keep it concealed.''
He praised the work of the charity's auditors for uncovering the theft, and of staff for rallying in the absence of a senior member of management.
Public defender Andrew More said McKenzie was seeking to pay the money back out of her KiwiSaver fund.
McKenzie pleaded guilty to one charge of theft at her trial on June 25.
Interim name suppression granted at the time was lifted at yesterday's hearing.
