A PRIMARY school headmaster has admitted abusing his position to plunder nearly £20,000 he wasn't entitled to.

Simon Burrell, 42, regularly paid himself for carrying out one to one tutoring of pupils when he was in charge at Ruskin County Junior School.

And Burrell also forged signatures on claim forms that were then handed to the borough council to get the illicit payments while he was at the Stratton school.

Burrell had initially denied any wrongdoing and was due to face a trial before a jury at Swindon Crown Court next month.

But the case was brought back before Judge Tim Mousley QC and he was asked what the maximum sentence would be if he were to plead guilty.

After learning that he would not get any jail time, as the sentences would be suspended, he asked for two charges to be put again and he pleaded guilty.

Burrell, of Rawdon Way, Faringdon, admitted one count of fraud and one of forgery.

He accepted he had pocketed £19,697.34p through fraud between the start of January 2011 the end of May, 2013, for one to one tutoring.

And he also accepted he had forged signatures on claim forms during the same 29-month period.

The judge told him that he the maximum sentence he would impose would be a one year jail term, which he would suspend.

Coming to that conclusion he said: "There is abuse of responsibility, the period of time it went on for, it was for financial gain, a degree of planning.

"There is that forgery which I regard as a serious feature. I regard it as being higher culpability for those reasons.

"The mitigating features looking at what is set out: obviously he has no previous convictions, a man of good character, of exemplary conduct, and has shown remorse.

"The personal mitigation in the way in which the school improved. His dedication. Giving up his time to do quite a lot of extracurricular stuff.

"In the light of all the mitigating factors that I have mentioned and the fact that he can pay it all back in full I would be inclined to suspend the sentence.

"Whether I imposed any requirements on that would be for me to consider, or the sentencing judge to consider, at a later date.

"I suspect that this is a case where he could do substantial unpaid work."

He had been told that the money taken was not spent on any high living, though he had refurbishments at his house including a new kitchen, and he could pay it back.

At an earlier hearing he pleaded not guilty to two further counts of fraud over the same period of time and prosecutors said they would not seek a trial on them.

The judge adjourned the case to Monday, April 25, to give the probation service time to see him and prepare a report.

He released Burrell on bail saying he must reside at his home address, warning him he could be remanded in custody if he fails to abide by the condition.

The defendant, who was also deputy head at Lydiard Millicent and head at King William Street primary schools, left Ruskin Junior in summer 2014 to become head at the Grange Federation.

In January last year, Burrell was suspended from his duties at the Grange Federation before being charged with the offences on June 8.

In a letter to parents Paul Cooper, chairman of the governors at Ruskin, said: "Mr Burrell has been the subject of a police investigation relating to financial irregularities that allegedly took place during his time at Ruskin Junior School...

"We can assure parents that none of these proceedings have had a detrimental effect on any of the children in the school."

Grange Federation chairman of governors Sarah Hurley said in a letter to parents at the time: "Mr Burrell has been the subject of a police investigation relating to matters at his previous school and has been suspended from his duties as head teacher by the Chair of Governors, on behalf of the governing body during this time."