A mother who allegedly stole more than $40,000 from the Gilbert Institute after-school programme appeared to tear-up yesterday as she spoke about her son leaving the Island because of the court case.

Lee Brown, 49, became involved with the school's Parent Teachers Association (PTA) in 1999 and took-over leadership of the afterschool programme, which was started by the PTA in 2001, sometime in 2003.

Brown took the stand yesterday on the fourth day of her Supreme Court trial which covers eight charges from between November 2003 and April 2005. The first count covers theft as it relates to an allegation that Brown failed to pay $30,893 in takings from the programme into the programme's Bank of Bermuda account.

The second count, which Senior Crown counsel Paula Tyndale amended yesterday following evidence given on Tuesday to be reduced to stealing not $12,034.91, but $10,774. Six further charges relate to forged cheques worth $6,090, which Brown is accused of signing for her co-signees.

Brown, from St. David's, denies these allegations and yesterday said the whole situation has caused her pain and she was just glad to give her side.

"It has been hard. I work for the General Manager at Elbow Beach Hotel and it can be a job that requires me to be confidential," she said. "I volunteered at other organisations even after this, but my son no longer lives in Bermuda because of this and I am glad for the opportunity today to say my side of it. Thank you."

Brown during her testimony denied her signature on many of the receipts, which would indicate money that should have been paid into the programme, had been written by her. One particular receipt could not have been signed from her, Brown contended, because she had been in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital at the time.

The defendant also told court that she as well as others in the programme would often write personal cheques for outings with the children rather than drag the official cheque book around and at times those involved in the programme would be in possession of the book. "At the beginning of the programme the cheque book was kept at the office of the Gilbert Institute," she said.

"There were times, however, that various members of the committee would have the book and were in possession depending on the convenience at the time. Such as when one of us was on vacation and would have to be available. It was really a convenience."

Brown did admit to writing cheques from the afterschool programme to help pay her $1,000 BELCO bill, but this personal loan was approved by fellow after-school coordinator Brenda Smith.

This expense she claimed, was paid back through deposits she would make into the programme's account.

However, Ms. Tyndale on cross examination challenged Brown to find any examples of these deposits. She could not find one in the documents provided in court.

She also asked the defendant to explain why, though Brown said she made weekly trips on Thursday or Fridays to pick up the deposit envelope from the school to take to the bank, there were no records of these.

When asked if she was surprised that there were no bank records of her weekly visits to deposit the programme's funds, Brown replied: "I am not surprised. I wasn't sure what she (Christine Place) did."