Ex-bursar admits theft from college

7:57am Saturday 11th October 2008

THE former bursar of a Durham university college is facing a “substantial” prison sentence after she admitted stealing almost £500,000 from its bank account.

Christine Starkey, 59, yesterday appeared at Durham Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to stealing £488,281 from St Chad’s College between April 17, 2002, and December 5 last year.

She also admitted a second count of converting criminal property, namely money, into goods and other items.

An earlier hearing was told how the financial administrator had used St Chad’s bank system to transfer deposits from the college to her own accounts.

Starkey, formerly of Highfield Drive, Eaglescliffe, had previously been bailed to her brother’s home in Stockton after a request to magistrates to be bailed to her husband’s villa in Spain was refused.

But Robert Mochrie, mitigating, told the court he was making the “slightly unusual request’’ for the defendant to be remanded in custody as she knew a prison sentence was inevitable’ adding “she is eager to get it under way as soon as possible”.

The court was told that she had committed a similar offence some years ago.

It was later confirmed that Starkey had stolen more than £10,000 while working as a credit controller for a car dealership on Teesside during the Eighties.

Agreeing to her being remanded in custody pending psychiatric reports, Judge Beatrice Bolton told Starkey she was facing a substantial custodial sentence.

She will appear for sentence at Durham Crown Court in the week beginning November 10.

Following Starkey’s guilty pleas, the principal of St Chad’s College, Dr Joe Cassidy, said last night: “St Chad’s is an independent college, whose finance and governance is separate from the university and Christine Starkey was not a university employee.

“St Chad’s is extremely pleased that this matter has been resolved following what has been a tremendously upsetting time for us all.

“The college plans to recover the full amount of money that was stolen over a period of years.’’ He added: “All of the money stolen consisted of profits from the college’s commercial activities, such as the conferences we regularly host, and we can confirm that none of the money was public money or donations from our supporters.

“The unauthorised transactions were hidden in batch bank-to-bank transfers, and we have now introduced a range of measures to ensure that this can never happen again.’’ Instead of a sole financial officer, the college, he said, had now appointed a bursar and accountant and all transactions now needed the authorisation from at least two people.

Professor Chris Higgins, vice-chancellor of Durham University, said: “Although Christine Starkey was not a university employee we have worked very closely with St Chad’s and our other recognised college, St John’s, to ensure their financial systems are completely robust.’’

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