I wasn't skint after election, says ex-MP Natalie McGarry

Former MP Natalie McGarry has told her embezzlement trial she "wasn't skint" after she was elected in May 2015.

Ms McGarry said she was financially supported by family while working for the Women For Independence (WFI) group.

She denies charges of embezzling more than £25,000 from two pro-independence groups.

Glasgow Sheriff Court has heard Ms McGarry transferred thousands of pounds of WFI funds to her bank account before paying rent.

But she said the payments were "legitimate" transfers for what she was owed in expenses.

The former MP for Glasgow East told the court she received about £1,500 to £1,600 a month from her father Brian and aunt Tricia Marwick at the time of the alleged offences. This money was mostly given to her in cash.

She said it was "there to support me so I could do this position. I wasn't paid by Women For Indy. Had I been, I wouldn't have needed family support."

Asked about her financial situation after being elected, the 40-year-old said she "wasn't skint" and the term was relative.

'Due money back'

The court heard that on 29 April 2014, Ms McGarry transferred £10,472.54 raised on an IndyGoGo fundraiser for WFI projects into her own bank account.

Prosecutor Alistair Mitchell showed Ms McGarry bank statements with payments made to Just Eat, Next, 02, Asda, Tesco, Urban Outfitters and Amigo Loans.

He said: "The first thing you did was make a payment for your rent.

"You had £50 in your account prior to that."

Ms McGarry denied transferring the payments specifically to pay her rent.

She said: "I would not have used the money had I not legitimately spent the money.

"By this point in April, we had spent a lot of money sending out the (WFI) packs and purchasing other things.

"I was due money back from WFI."

She added: "I am perfectly content that when these monies were paid I had already spent them on WFI purposes."

The court earlier heard that Ms McGarry "panicked" when asked to submit receipts and invoices to show her spending for the pro-independence organisation.

Significant delay

She said many of these receipts were not kept, particularly from the early years of the organisation when the group operated on "trust".

Mr Mitchell asked Ms McGarry if one of the reasons for the significant delay in providing evidence to WFI was because the group wanted full records.

"I think I panicked," she said. "All of a sudden the new executive wanted (receipts) that we never had.

"In 2013 and 2014 things were quite chaotic. I should have just said, 'actually we didn't keep these'."

Ms McGarry also told the court she had a spreadsheet saved to her iCloud which accounted for her personal outgoings and WFI spending.

Mr Mitchell asked her why this information was not provided to WFI as proof of spending.

She said her phone with the documents were taken as part of the investigation by police.

Ms McGarry said when she got her phone back in about 2021, some documents had been removed - including the financial spreadsheet.

She said: "There was 10 years' worth of information on there, that's gone."

Ms McGarry, from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, is said to have embezzled £21,000 while treasurer for Women for Independence between 26 April 2013 and 30 November 2015.

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

The trial before Sheriff Tom Hughes continues.