Head 'pocketed school ice cream van rent'

Published on Tuesday 9 March 2010 21:50

A HEADTEACHER rented out a spot in his school's playground to an ice cream van for £50 per week and pocketed the cash, a tribunal has heard.

The money was not paid into the school's account until auditors showed up at the secondary . It was only then that Donald Matheson handed a clerical assistant a brown envelope stuffed with notes to include in the general purpose fund.

Mr Matheson, 59, a former president of the Headteachers' Association of Scotland, was charged with embezzling thousands of pounds after the claims at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh.

He appeared in court in relation to the allegations in January 2006, but prosecutors dropped the charges, in part, because of witness problems.

But the day he appeared in court, Mr Matheson, of Glasgow, accepted early retirement from his 70,000 per year position and was allowed to leave on full pension. Argyll and Bute Council refused to reveal why it gave him retirement five years early.

But yesterday, at a conduct hearing of the General Teaching Council Scotland's disciplinary sub-committee, Mr Matheson faced the same charges and could be struck off the register.

The tribunal continues.