Community service for woman who took £18,000 from employers

An accounts manager with JB Foods, faced with debts of £30,000, took almost £18,000 in cash from her employers.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today, 45-year old Gillian Taylor of Dumbryden Gardens, Edinburgh, was ordered to perform 240 hours of Community Service.

She had pled guilty to embezzling 17,844.26 from JB Foods (Scotland) Ltd at the Edgefield Industrial Estate, Loanhead, between April 22 and November 16 last year.

Fiscal Depute Tom Crosby said as accounts manager Taylor had full access to cash in the office and the company safe.

Defence solicitor, Jim Stephenson, said his client had debts of 30,000. The money she took was in bags handed in by delivery drivers.

"She took the money, stupidly thinking she could get a loan and repay it" he said.

Taylor, he added, was trying to repay the company at the rate of 100 a month.

Sheriff Mhairi Stephen told Taylor that as someone in charge of accounts and cash, her taking the money was a serious offence and a custodial sentence had to be considered. However, she said, that as Taylor was a first offender and was repaying the money, she would impose the alternative of Community Service.