A head teacher accused of misusing school payment cards for his own gain "intimidated" staff who questioned him, a misconduct hearing was told.
In 2019, Ian Carroll resigned as executive head of three rural County Durham schools in the wake of concerns over his use of school procurement cards.
Former colleagues described the ex-police officer as intimidating when they gave evidence on Tuesday.
The panel heard Mr Carroll - who denies any wrongdoing - displayed "bullying" behaviour and left staff reluctant to confront him.
Mr Carroll presided over three of County Durham's most remote primary schools - the now closed Rookhope Primary in Weardale, Forest of Teesdale, near Barnard Castle, and St John's Chapel, near Bishop Auckland.
Ruth Nattrass, who was governor at Rookhope, claimed Mr Carroll would "bully" members of staff, and intimidate them into signing off payments.
She said: "The system was that they had to be countersigned by someone else.
"Because he was the head and their boss, they did not feel comfortable saying he was not correct.
"He was a domineering person and he would leave them feeling as though they had no option but to do as he requested."
Claire Tunstall, then assistant head of Forest of Teesdale, said she raised concerns with Mr Carroll after he charged personal purchases of fuel, oil and taxi fares to the school's card.
He reportedly told her that he had used the card because it was "the only one he had on him", an explanation that "did not sit well" with her.
In a tearful testimony, Ms Tunstall said it had been months before Mr Carroll returned the money to the school.
She said: "I carried the stress of him not not paying the money back as I knew it was not right.
"It was public money and should not have been spent like that.
"I stood my ground and questioned him about it, but it was not easy to do."
Mr Carroll introduced the use of procurement cards to the schools - which shared a head but operated independently otherwise - and now stands accused of using those cards to benefit himself.
In allegations dating between 2015 and 2018, it is said he used them to dishonestly make personal purchases, including for memberships to Amazon Prime and Costco, TV licences, hotel rooms and train tickets.
The misconduct panel heard on Tuesday that Mr Carroll - a non-teaching head - also ordered items to his own home, including an A3 printer and a GoPro camera, that were not subsequently used by the school.
During that time, concerns were gradually growing among staff at the separate schools.
But, the panel heard, the turning point came when Mr Carroll allegedly submitted the same set of receipts to both Rookhope and Forest of Teesdale for approval.
They were for three train tickets linked to a business trip - a purchase questioned by witnesses, including Ms Nattrass.
The panel was told he had taken his wife and daughter on the trip so that they could attend a Darcey Bussell show in the vicinity of the conference he was attending.
The purchase led to concerns being formally flagged to Durham County Council, which was asked to conduct an audit of the schools.
The hearing continues.
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County Durham head 'bullied' staff over payments, hearing told - BBC.com
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