A headmistress who stole £500,000 sterling from her school to fund a lavish lifestyle has been jailed for five years.
Colleen McCabe (51) bowed her head in the dock as she was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London.
Judge Christopher Elwen told the former nun she was "self satisfied, manipulative and mendacious". He said she had told a tissue of lies and "concocted a web of vicious deceit and falsehoods".
Around 30 former teachers and pupils from the Catholic St John Rigby College, in West Wickham, south-east London were in court to see their former principal jailed.
McCabe, from Sidcup, south-east London, had been due to be sentenced on August 22nd but failed to turn up after complaining of chest pains.
During her trial, the court heard that while former pupils and staff suffered, McCabe wallowed in a life of luxury that "would have made Imelda Marcos proud".
She spent fortunes on jewellery, fine restaurants, theatre trips, sunshine holidays and champagne trips on the Orient Express. She also ran up a £7,000 shoe bill, and lavished gifts on friends and family.
Judge Elwen told her: "Depriving as you did the children under your care of funds intended to be spent for their education and welfare was a gross breach of trust. It was put to you in court that you were a thoroughly dishonest woman.
"You were described by others as arrogant, dogmatic and a bully. Your performance marked you out as self satisfied, manipulative and mendacious".