McGarry, 40, who represented the East Glasgow constituency between 2015 and 2017, was convicted of two counts following a trial in the Glasgow Sheriff’s Court. In May, she was found to have embezzled 97 19,974 £ while she was treasurer of Women for Independence (WFI) between 26 April 2013 and 30 November 2015. In addition, a court found that he embezzled an additional 66 4,661 between April 9, 2014 and August 10, 2015, when he was treasurer, secretary and Glasgow Regional Association (GRA) of the SNP. For both charges, he was found guilty by a majority. Sheriff Tom Hughes sentenced her to two years in prison when she returned to Glasgow Sheriff’s Court on Thursday. Condemning McGarry, Sheriff Hughes said he betrayed people who trusted her and that imprisonment was inevitable. “It is clear that society has a right to expect the highest standards from those who seek and ultimately achieve high public office,” he told the former SNP MP. He added: “Through your role in these crimes, not only have you betrayed the trust shown to you by others, but your standards are much lower than those that the public should have the right to expect from MPs.” At the six-week trial, the court heard dozens of witnesses, including former Scottish Health Minister Jeane Freeman, who said she mentioned McGarry after noticing a significant deficit in WFI accounts. Ms Freeman said she had no idea that donations made to the Crowdfunder group’s independence went from the agency’s PayPal account to McGarry’s personal bank account. McGarry’s bank records appeared in court, showing that Crowdfunder donations from the WFI were being transferred to her personal account. They included transfers £ 10,472.52 on April 29, 2014 and an additional 8 9,848.70 £ on November 12, 2014 – which he paid for rent and purchases. McGarry had claimed that these were “legal” expenses that she had made and for which she was being reimbursed. Incumbent Scottish Health Minister Humza Yousaf also said she gave McGarry 600 600 to prevent her from being evicted from her home. McGarry resigned from the party whip after allegations of fraud surfaced, which she denied. She did not seek re-election as an independent candidate in 2017.
