Sheriff clerk's fraud scheme netted £130k

A CROOKED former sheriff clerk has appeared in the court where he used to work and admitted fraudulently obtaining £130,000 from his previous employers.

Graeme Wilson, 29, altered information on juror citations so he claimed their expenses and received money for psychological assessments that had not been asked for in two schemes set up over a period of three years at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

In total, Wilson changed facts on 206 jurors. Wilson would change the juror's name to his own and make out cheques which netted him approximately 52,000.

He also fabricated 72 invoices purporting to come from doctors requesting payment for fees for psychological assessments which he pretended the court had called for.

From this scam, Wilson obtained around 78,000.

Wilson, a first offender, admitted forming two fraudulent schemes between 9 January and 24 November, 2006, and 7 October, 2007, and 6 March, 2009.

Sheriff Deidre MacNeill QC deferred sentence on Wilson, of Kirkcaldy, for background reports until next month.