KELOWNA — A Kelowna woman made a tearful apology in court Monday, as she was sentenced for stealing money from high school music students.
Diane Elizabeth Sherwood, 48, was the volunteer treasurer for the band program at Okanagan Mission Secondary school between May 2010 and August 2011 when she stole $22,849.12 from the band bank account using 37 forged cheques.
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Sherwood says she stole the money to support her family and pay for her abusive husband’s drug and alcohol addictions.
“My heart is heavy every single day. Hardly a moment goes by when I don’t dwell on my actions. I’ll carry this guilt with me for the rest of my life,” Sherwood told the judge before being handed an 8 month Conditional Sentence Order followed by 18 months probation.
The first two months of her community jail sentence are to be served under house arrest.
Sherwood was also ordered to repay every penny to the students whose money she stole.
Those funds were to be used for band trips and programs.
Sherwood has a previous theft conviction from 1995.
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