Natalie McGarry: Ex-MSP says she regrets giving blank cheques

Former MSP Carolyn Leckie gave evidence at Glasgow Sheriff Court

A former MSP has said she regrets giving blank cheques to ex-SNP MP Natalie McGarry, who is accused of embezzlement.

Carolyn Leckie, 57, told a court she gave Ms McGarry multiple cheques to cover finances for the campaign group Women for Independence (WFI).

Ms McGarry, 40, denies embezzling £25,000 from two pro-independence groups, including WFI.

The allegations cover a period between April 2013 and August 2015.

Ms McGarry was the MP for Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017.

One charge claims she embezzled £21,000 while treasurer of WFI between 26 April 2013 and 30 November 2015.

It is also alleged she cashed cheques held in the name of WFI while managing the group's finances and transferred money made from fundraising events into her personal accounts.

The second charge states she embezzled £4,661 from the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP between 9 April 2014 and 10 August 2015.

'I wish I had been more suspicious'

Ms Leckie, a former Scottish Socialist Party MSP and one of the founding members of WFI, confirmed she was a signatory for the group's accounts.

She told Glasgow Sheriff Court she gave Ms McGarry signed blank cheques with the understanding she would transfer donated money for WFI resources, including merchandise.

The court was shown multiple cheques, totalling more than £7,000, that had been addressed to Ms McGarry and signed by Ms Leckie.

The trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court is expected to last up to six weeks

They were for sums of £900, £484.67, £1,300, £842.64, £665, £900, £934, £700 and £358.64. The cheques were dated between December 2014 and April 2015, and were paid to cash and to Ms McGarry, the court heard.

Ms Leckie confirmed her signature on the cheques shown, but when asked if she filled them out she replied: "That's not my writing."

She told the court: "With hindsight, I regret giving her (Ms McGarry) blank cheques, but I had no reason to believe that she wasn't using them for WFI.

"I wish I had been more careful or more suspicious, but I wasn't. I completely trusted Natalie.

"I thought she was competent and coping and it was a relief for me because I had a lot going on at the time."

'Alarm bells'

Ms Leckie said there were no "alarm bells" until a financial report was to be compiled for the Electoral Commission after the independence referendum.

She said she offered to help Ms McGarry with the report, but the offer was never taken up. She later said there was "a bit of difficulty" getting information from Ms McGarry for an AGM report.

The court heard that Ms McGarry started avoiding Ms Leckie, who asked Ms McGarry if she had paid any WFI money on her own expenses. Ms McGarry assured her she did not.

Ms Leckie added the matter was referred to the police after WFI's accountant and auditor gave a report showing a balance difference of more than £31,000.

During cross examination, defence lawyer Allan McLeod asked Ms Leckie if Ms McGarry was "spinning a lot of plates".

Ms Leckie replied: "She thrived on it."

The trial, before Sheriff Tom Hughes, continues.