Former MP Natalie McGarry has been found guilty of two counts of embezzlement.
McGary, who represented Glasgow East for the SNP, was found guilty of embezzling just under £ 20,000 while serving as a treasurer for the Women for Independence (WFI) between 26 April 2013 and 30 November 2015.
However, the jury canceled the amount of £ 1026 from the fee, which takes into account donations that had to be made to the charities Perth and Kinross Foodbank and Positive Prisons Positive Futures.
She was also found guilty on a second charge of taking £ 4661 between April 9, 2014 and August 10, 2015, when she was treasurer, secretary and manager of the Glasgow Regional Association (GRA) of the SNP.
McGarry – from Clarkston, East Renfrewshire – denied both charges.
She did not react when the sentence was read, her family joined her in court.
Sheriff Tom Hughes told McGarry that she had won a position of trust from both organizations, which helped her be elected Westminster.
He said: “What you have been convicted of is a series of incidents that have taken place over a long period of time.
“It was not a one-time incident. There have been a number of transactions made by you to allow you to commit this crime.
“There is a significant breach of trust in all this. You have been asked to deal with the finances of both the Independence Women and the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.
During the six-week trial, the court heard dozens of witnesses, including former Health Minister Gene Freeman, who said she reported on McGarry after noticing a significant shortfall in WFI accounts.
Freeman, the former SNP MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, said he had no idea that donations made to Crowdfunder for the group’s independence went from the organization’s PayPal account to McGarry’s personal bank account.
She also expressed disappointment with McGary’s delay in handing over receipts and invoices that would show what the money was spent on.
Speaking to STV News, Freeman said: “We respect the decision of this jury and the court. I still say that we are right to turn this matter over to the police when we were in a situation where a significant amount of money was unknown.
“And it was money given to us by ordinary men and women, the length and breadth of Scotland, in fact, in some cases beyond, given to us by trust. We couldn’t count it. We have not been given an explanation for what happened.
“We had to do the right thing at that moment, namely let the police, the royal service and now the court itself decide what the facts are and what needs to be done.
The court also heard from witnesses that McGarry was thin and regularly received loans from family and friends.
This includes Health Minister Humza Youssef, who gave the former MP £ 600 to prevent her being evicted from her home.
The court also saw McGarry’s bank records showing that Crowdfunder’s donations from WFI were being transferred to her personal account.
It includes £ 10,472.52 on 29 April 2014 and another £ 9,848.70 on 12 November 2014, which it uses to pay rent and shop.
McGarry said these were “legal” expenses she had incurred and reimbursed.
About £ 5,000 or £ 10,000 was spent on banners and badges, she said.
They were paid for by substantial cash donations of around £ 1,500 to £ 1,600 a month from family members – including her aunt Trisha Marwick, a former Hollywood chairman.
Sheriff Hughes released McGary on bail for inquiries and social work reports.
She is expected to appear for sentencing on June 30th.
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