Aberdeen woman who embezzled £1.5m from employer jailed

Coleen Muirhead admitted embezzling money from her employer

A woman who stole more than £1.5m from her employers has been jailed for three years and four months.

Coleen Muirhead, 55, of Aberdeen, had earlier admitted embezzling the money from a metal recycling company.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard she spent it on holidays, cars, caravans and savings accounts for her family..

A judge told Muirhead her actions amounted to a massive breach of trust and she had faced a potential five-year prison sentence.

Lord Fairley said he had noted Muirhead's guilty plea at an earlier hearing, and that she had experienced trauma during her childhood.

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Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said background reports set out how Muirhead had experienced difficulties in her upbringing.

He said she had later used alcohol and gambling as a coping mechanism, before the death of her father led to increased drinking and offending.

Mr Gilmartin said: "This offending behaviour started off as a small matter and escalated quickly.

"The report makes clear she is remorseful and she regrets the offending. She acknowledges she has brought shame to her family."

The Crown has brought an action to seize crime proceeds from Muirhead and a first hearing in the case is due to take place in January next year.

Charity event

The High Court in Edinburgh previously heard how the mum-of-four and grandmother to seven channelled funds to a fake client while working as an administrative assistant at Panda Rosa Metals.

Muirhead began work at one of two sites the company operated in Aberdeen in 2014. The sites handled scrap metal from firms and individuals.

A ticket was produced for each delivery which was then sent to staff who provided an advice note containing details of the material, weight and price.

Sellers were then sent an invoice and on its receipt the firm would instruct the transfer of funds.

The court heard another member of staff became aware Muirhead was going on expensive family holidays, and had paid for a full table at a charity event.

She had also bought new vehicles and paid for her son's wedding.

The court heard a senior partner in the firm noticed funds were down while she was carrying out a review of company records.

The partner began looking for information on a significant customer named G Anderson.

It was confirmed this was not a customer at the firm's Canal Road site, where Muirhead worked, and staff were instructed to look for paperwork in relation to an account in that name.

They were unable to find any recent paperwork but found some advice notes in historical files. The notes had a reference number identifying Muirhead as producing the documentation.

Credit cards

When Muirhead, who was on leave at the time was phoned for an explanation, she asked if she was in trouble.

Prosecutor David Dickson told the court Muirhead later sent a message to a work colleague in which she asked the workmate to submit her resignation on her behalf.

Three days later she sent a further message in which she stated: "Hi just to let you know I have done Panda Rosa out of a lot of money. I was G Anderson."

A check of bank details for G Anderson with Muirhead's bank details found the sort code and account numbers matched.

Muirhead's house was searched while she was abroad. Documents found related to credit cards, the purchase of a car and motorbikes and ISAs for family members.

There was also cash and documentation on the purchase of two static caravans.

Muirhead was later interviewed by police and admitted embezzling money from her employer.

Following sentencing, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service's Moira Orr said fraud and embezzlement were not victimless crimes.

She said: "This was a blatant example of someone targeting a business and then carrying out a significant embezzlement.

"Coleen Muirhead showed no regard for the impact her crimes would have on her employers."