Bank chief's £47,000 con

A RETIRED bank manager who struggled to make ends meet from his pension swindled a vulnerable care home resident out of more than £47,000.

Lyall McRobb, of Newtonhill, near Stonehaven, was entrusted with the care of the 81-year-old's finances following the death of her husband in 1995.

He managed the retired charity worker's bank account and paid her bills.

But the Royal Bank of Scotland resource manager, who was once in charge of eight Aberdeen bank branches, started embezzling cash from her account after she moved into a nursing home.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the grandfather of two found it difficult living off a pension worth half his bank salary and began dipping into the funds of the elderly woman, who was a friend of his aunt, instead.

McRobb was at first charged with embezzling 78,296. He later admitted taking a reduced sum of 47,613 from various places, including Aberdeen's central branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland, between 14 January, 1997 and 3 October, 2005 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Malcolm Garden ordered him to carry out two years of probation and repay the money within nine months.

McRobb refused to comment as he left court.