Kathleen Ross who worked for an accountancy business who handled the finances for Campbell McWilliams – a communications company – pled guilty to embezzling £253,966 between February 2014 and July 2018 from the company.
Ms Ross had stated that she had been pressurised by her now ex-husband into embezzling the money to cover his gambling debt. Ms Ross was a first offender. Her ex-partner had been convicted in 2019 of assaulting her. She had paid back approximately £63,000 since the matter had come to light.
Sheriff Murphy QC described that although it was likely Ms Ross was “suffering from physiological abuse” from her husband, her actions were a “significant breach of trust”. A sentence of 20 months imprisonment was thereafter imposed.