Natalie McGarry: Ex-MP says thousands in expenses were paid in cash

Natalie McGarry was giving evidence in her own defence at Glasgow Sheriff Court

A former MP accused of embezzlement has told a court that "thousands" of pounds in pro-independence group expenses would have been paid in cash.

Natalie McGarry said the true scale of expenditure incurred during her time at Women for Independence (WFI) could not be quantified by bank statements alone.

She estimated about £5,000 to £10,000 of costs from printing banners and badges would have been paid in cash.

Ms McGarry, on trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court, denies both charges against her.

The former Glasgow East MP is accused of embezzling £21,000 while treasurer of WFI between April 2013 and November 2015.

A second charge states she took £4,661 when she was treasurer, secretary and convener of the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP between April 2014 and August 2015.

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The court heard that Ms McGarry, 40, was unable to quantify some of her personal expenses with any degree of certainty.

Ms McGarry helped compile a spreadsheet in 2020 about her spending between 2013 and 2015, including work she did for various organisations such as WFI as well as speaking events around Scotland.

Defence counsel Allan Macleod took her through a list of events she attended in 2014, including notes of the costs incurred.

The overall total came to £3,815.64, which she agreed in evidence was not an "accurate figure."

McGarry said the costs she ran up at WFI were much greater than the reconstruction showed, particularly in 2013 where many records were loosely recorded through the WFI email and PayPal accounts.

Many payments would not have been made through bank transfers, she told the court.

When asked how much she expected was spent over her time at WFI, McGarry said: "I'm not sure but it's in the thousands - more than five, possibly 10."

'Seems naive now'

She claimed that her 2014 diary, which had been seized by police, helped her co-ordinate her whereabouts during the year.

"I wouldn't know what I was doing unless it was right in front of me," she said.

Jurors heard that in February 2014, she was involved in organising the filming of a WFI video to tie in with International Women's Day in March, which featured 20 women including actress and comedian, Elaine C Smith.

Filming took place at the Pearce Institute in Glasgow and expenses included room hire and catering, which consisted of drinks and snacks bought from local shops.

Mr Macleod said: "There were a lot of expenses there that you have been unable to quantify with any degree of certainty."

Ms McGarry replied: "Yes, it seems naïve now to say, but it didn't seem like something we would be keeping receipts for. It was local shops and making sure women who had travelled from all over the country were taken care of."

'Face-painting skills'

The court also heard that she attended a Yes in the Park event at Strathclyde Park in Lanarkshire in June 2014, for which she and other activists had to buy a gazebo and procure a helium tank and balloons, while face-painting was to be on offer.

Ms McGarry said: "In a previous life, I was an entertainer at McDonald's so I had some residual face-painting skills so I had said I can do face-painting.

"I don't remember how I did get that helium tank to Strathclyde Park but we did manage."

Jurors heard that only records of items that cost over £200 had to be kept for the Electoral Commission.

Mr Macleod reminded Ms McGarry she had not recorded any expenses for the Yes in the Park event, and told the court she could not remember how she got there.

"In addition to travel expenses, can you say there would have been others?" Mr Macleod asked.

Ms McGarry replied: "Yes there would have been others but none were over £200."

Ms McGarry was elected as the SNP MP for Glasgow East in 2015, but later served as an independent MP. She did not contest the seat in the 2017 general election.

The trial, now in its fifth week of evidence before Sheriff Tom Hughes, continues.