Nursery nurse spared jail for making false wage claims

A NURSERY nurse who was wrongly paid thousands of pounds in wages because she forged signatures on her time sheets has been spared a jail sentence and instead ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

Isla Heenan, 31, pocketed 24,494 despite not turning up for work. She was caught when city council employees discovered a series of transactions involving fraudulent wage claims.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard the matter was reported to police and when Heenan was interviewed she admitted the offence.

Defence agent Jennifer Cameron said that on occasions Heenan had driven to schools but had been unable to get out of the car as she was suffering from depression and was recovering from a serious illness.

She added that Heenan had suffered from severe anxiety.

The court heard that when Heenan was interviewed by police she said she committed the offence due to her medical state of health and that she had been depressed after her father died.

First offender Heenan, of Lawrie Drive, Penicuik, admitted submitting false wage claims and obtaining 24,494 in payment from Edinburgh City Council between 9 May, 2005, and 14 March, 2008.