Former MP Natalie McGarry was given blank cheques to deal with campaign group's finances, court hears

A FORMER politician has told a jury she handed ex-MP Natalie McGarry blank cheques to sort the finances of a Scottish independence organisation.

Carolyn Leckie, 57, claimed she gave six cheques to Natalie McGarry, 40, in order to pay wages or bills accrued by Women for Independence.

McGarry, who represented Glasgow East for the SNP, allegedly stole more than £25,000 from two Scottish independence organisations between April 2013 and August 2015.

One charge claims the former MP embezzled £21,000 while Treasurer for Women for Independence (WFI) between April 26, 2013 and November 30, 2015.

The second charge states McGarry embezzled £4,661 between April 9, 2014 and August 10, 2015.

It is alleged that while McGarry was treasurer, secretary and convenor of Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP, she used cheques drawn from their bank account to pay expenses not incurred by the group.

McGarry is claimed to have retained reimbursements intended to settle expenses which she was not entitled to.

The charge goes on to say McGarry used cheques and money from donations to the organisation to deposit money to her own accounts.

McGarry denies the two charges.

Leckie, a former Scottish Socialist Party MSP, told the jury in evidence that she first met McGarry at a gathering when WFI was formed in 2012.

The witness said she believed McGarry was "extremely energetic and competent" as well as able to achieve things.

It was agreed that the organisation set up a treasurer's bank account in 2012 with Leckie as one of the signatories for cheques.

Leckie said McGarry was the main person in charge of the finance side of the organisation.

Leckie claimed that the organisation's bank statements, which arrived at her home in East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, were given to McGarry.

She told the court that she became busier with her job and studying for her law degree at the time.

She became aware that a PayPal account was set up by another WFI member for the purpose of making statements and payments.

Prosecutor Alistair Mitchell asked: "Did you see PayPal statements on the bank statements?"

Leckie replied: "I don't remember seeing PayPal statements."

The witness stated that her impression towards McGarry changed in time, adding: "She was more of a flap than my impression had been earlier."

She added that she became "concerned" if there was going to be enough money to fulfil WFI commitments such as leaflets and videos.

Leckie said: "In hindsight, I wish I was more careful or more suspicious.

"I trusted Natalie, I was impressed by her, I thought she was competent and coping."

The witness added there were no "alarm bells" ringing until a financial report was to be compiled for the Electoral Commission after the referendum.

Leckie claimed that she offered to help McGarry which was not taken up.

The witness also stated that McGarry was also dealing with the WFI merchandise at the time.

Leckie said: "She told me that there was a lot merchandise that was stored in a lock-up garage somewhere and if it could be found, it would explain some of the gaps."

Mitchell asked: "Were you shown where the lock up was?"

Leckie replied: "No."

Leckie said she was approached by McGarry on various occasions to sign cheques to "pay wages" of WFI employees towards the referendum date in September 2014.

She said that after the referendum, WFI became more formal and a full financial report for an AGM was to be prepared by McGarry.

She said: "I remember asking Natalie for a report and I was aware of a bit of difficulty that the information had not been provided."

Leckie claimed on "one occasion I gave six signed cheques" to McGarry.

The court was shown a number of cheques from WFI made out to cash or McGarry personally from the end of 2014 and into 2015.

Mitchell asked about each cheque: "Is this a cheque you filled out?"

Leckie replied: "No, that's not my writing, but it's my signature."

She added: "It was for her to pay wages or whatever she said she was paying.

"I had no reason to think she wasn't using it for WFI expenses."

Leckie said that she also tried on numerous occasions to get herself signed off from being a signatory which was not done which caused her to become "frustrated" with McGarry.

Leckie then believed McGarry "was not coping" and asked accountant and auditor Elizabeth Young to present the group's income and expenditure.

She told the court McGarry started avoiding her before a meeting between the pair later took place.

She said: "I said have you paid any WFI money on your own expenses and she said absolutely not.

"I felt like a bit of a fool but she said she hadn't."

Mitchell asked: "Why did you feel like a fool?"

Leckie replied: "I think over the whole period I was starting to think, in hindsight, that my reliance on Natalie had actually been engineered by her and the position she put myself in to signing blank cheques."

The trial continues before Sheriff Tom Hughes.