JK ROWLING’S former assistant is “hurt” by the author’s fraud claims, a court has heard.
Amanda Donaldson was suspended and dismissed in 2017 for allegedly using the writer’s credit card to fund spending sprees and taking Harry Potter merchandise supposed to go to young fans with health problems.
The claims are now the centre of a civil court case brought by Rowling at Airdrie Sheriff Court.
The novelist is seeking damages and claims her former employee spent £3629 on toiletries at Molton Brown, £2139 in Edinburgh card shop Paper Tiger and more than £1800 in Starbucks and Costa coffee shops.
Yesterday Donaldson, 35, told how Rowling “could be really generous” and bought her a replacement buggy when her child’s was damaged.
However, she said: “People in the office would sometimes ask if she was in a good mood, in a terrified way.”
The PA said her boss had asked her to buy cards and gift wrapping that she got in Paper Tiger and claimed thousands of pounds spent on cakes and coffees were for business meetings and staff birthdays.
Donaldson said the purchases in Molton Brown were for the office, while spending in Jo Malone was at Rowling’s request.
The defendant said she was told not to disturb the author when she was busy, so had to make her own spending decisions.
The court heard: “It was my understanding I would make the decision and would tell her after what I had done. I was never told otherwise.”
When asked about the fraud claims, she said: “I really respected my role and would never have dreamed of doing anything like that.
“I’m quite offended and hurt.”
In previous evidence, Rowling’s husband Dr Neil Murray called Donaldson a “liar”.
The court heard the defendant’s former boyfriend had recently returned a box of Harry Potter goods to the office.
She said she corresponded with one ill child regularly and would send authorised gifts and, when asked if she ever took merchandise from the office for herself or her family, Donaldson replied: “No. I wasn’t a fan, to be honest, of Harry Potter merchandise.”
The 35-year-old also denied she had falsified an email from Castle Terrace restaurant in Edinburgh.
The defendant said she paid a £400 deposit for a Christmas lunch but the cash was not deducted from the bill and the restaurant told Dr Murray it does not ask for deposits.
Asked why the restaurant stated no cash deposit was taken, the PA told the court: “I don’t know.”
The civil case continues.
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