Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Ex principal sentenced to community work

Updated at 12:16 pm on 9 February 2012

A former secondary school principal has been sentenced in the Hamilton District Court to community work for using school money on his holiday home at Papamoa.

Martin Elliott, 59, pleaded guilty to two charges of dishonestly using a document for pecuniary advantage. The total amount involved was just over $3000.

The Crown described Elliott's offending as sophisticated and blatant and a severe breach of trust.

Lawyer, Michael Reed QC told the court that it was a major tragedy that such a high performing principal had fallen from grace in such a huge way.

Judge Glen Marshall discharged Elliott without conviction on one charge and sentenced him to 40 hours community service on the other.

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