A school office worker who spent years stealing children’s breakfast club money to fund her own shopping sprees has been jailed for 16 months.

Jane Duncan put a P7 trip and the existence of the breakfast club in jeopardy by embezzling more than £28,000 from the Dundee school.

The city’s sheriff court heard the 54-year-old took money over four years while she was working at Mill of Mains Primary.

She spent more than £11,000 of the money on Amazon buying herself items including PlayStation games, pet goods and cosmetic products. 

The court was told that when she was arrested, Duncan broke down in tears and said: ‘That’s my life over. I’ve ruined everything.’

Her crimes came to light in 2019 after a council accountant noticed the school had not banked any income for the school breakfast club since 2016.

The court also heard money had been collected from pupils for a residential trip to Ardeonaig on the banks of Loch Tay.

No money was found in the safe and the court heard how 42 children had paid around £200 per head for the trip.

Duncan admitting embezzling £28,084.80 from the school between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2019.

After being confronted about the missing money, Duncan began crying hysterically and told the two senior teachers: ‘I need to tell you something.

‘I’ve taken the Ardeonaig money. I’ve done a really bad thing. I’m going to lose my house and family. I can’t go on.’

Jailing her yesterday, Sheriff Tim Niven-Smith said: ‘Potentially the breakfast club may have had to close. It might have meant the P7 school trip being cancelled – all for you and your family to have nice things.’

Duncan, who has not repaid any of the stolen cash, wept as she was led off to prison.