A finance manager for Kensington and Chelsea council has admitted defrauding about £60,000 from the Grenfell Tower fire victims’ fund.

Jenny McDonagh used prepaid credit cards intended for survivors of the fire to withdraw a total of £62,000 over a 10-month period. She spent the money on trips to Dubai and Los Angeles, expensive dinners and online gambling.

At Westminster magistrates court on Thursday, McDonagh, 39, pleaded guilty to two offences of fraud, one of theft and another of concealing criminal property.

McDonagh, from Abbey Wood, south-east London, was arrested on 1 August and used the stolen cards again two days later.

Robert Simpson, prosecuting, described her as a “serial fraudster” who “lives beyond her means and gambles”.

“She spent quite a lot of money on online gambling. She spent £32,000, of which £16,000 was winnings, and lost roughly £16,000 in online gambling,” he said.

Simpson said McDonagh was married but her husband did “not want her to return to the matrimonial home”.

She showed no emotion as the details of her offending were relayed to the court.

Simpson said McDonagh was also under investigation for suspected frauds against her former employers – Kent and Medway NHS trust and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

“It’s suggested she obtained around £35,000 by means of fraud when working for the NHS trust,” he said, adding that the alleged fraud against the museum “had not got far enough for her to obtain anything from it, but it had potential”.