Community service for cheque fruadster

A MUM-TO-BE who tried to pay a bogus cheque for £7850 into her account has been ordered to complete 100 community service.

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard a teller at a Bank of Scotland branch became suspicious because she thought 22-year old Danielle Colvan was too young to be paying in such a large sum.

Examination under a UV light at first appeared to show the cheque was genuine, but the teller noticed that the area where the name of the company, LDN Architects, was printed, was a different shade to the rest of the cheque.

After she left the bank, LDN Architects were contacted and confirmed that the cheque with the relevant number was still in their cheque book.

Colvan of Gorgie Road, Edinburgh, pled guilty to attempting to obtain 7850 by presenting, as genuine, the fraudulently altered cheque at the North Bank Street branch of the Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh on 1 July last year.

Sentence was deferred until today for background reports.

Fiscal Depute, Trevor Smith, said the teller, Kerry Miller, was suspicious because she thought Colvan appeared too young to be paid such a large sum.

"At this stage the teller did not wish to alert the accused of her suspicions and continued the transaction, but as the accused left the bank, the transaction was reversed and the police contacted" said Mr Smith.

Defence agent, Kenneth Cloggie, said Colvan had been given the cheque by "a friend of a friend", but she knew it was not genuine.

She had been pregnant at the time and in financial difficulties.

He told Sheriff Kathrine Mackie: "She yielded to temptation". He asked the Sheriff, that despite the nature of the offence, to impose an alternative sentence to custody.

Sheriff Mackie said that in considering the reports and what had been said, she could impose the alternative of 100 hours Community Service.

Colvan wept as she heard the sentence.