Bookkeeper Catherine Bryceland jailed for £60,000 embezzlement
A bookkeeper who embezzled £60,000 from her employer and spent the money on cars, foreign holidays and jewellery has been jailed for 18 months.
Catherine Bryceland took the money from Raymond Gloag Painters and Decorators in Dundee over an 18-month period.
A sheriff told the 50-year-old a prison sentence was the "only method" of dealing with the offence.
A trial heard that company owner Raymond Gloag was left "hurt" when the fraud came to light.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that there was "no prospect" of Bryceland repaying the money.
The trial heard that Bryceland left the firm in 2010 after working there for 10 years.
Depute fiscal Donna Brown said: "She transferred money to her own bank accounts.
"The amateur nature of the embezzlement came to light when new accountants looked at records and when her bank accounts were examined later."
'Very serious offence'
Ms Brown said that Bryceland made cheques payable to herself and that Mr Gloag would sign his name to blank cheques.
She said: "The £60,000 was used to buy cars, holidays and jewellery.
"To date no money has been repaid."
Bryceland initially denied embezzling £192,000 from the firm.
However, on the third day of her trial at Dundee Sheriff Court in May, the Crown accepted her guilty plea to embezzling £60,000 from the company between July 2007 and December 2008.
Sheriff Michael Fletcher told Bryceland: "This was a very serious offence. It was obviously worked out and planned.
"It was also sophisticated enough for you to avoid suspicion on the part of your employer, although it didn't escape the accountants.
"A custodial sentence is appropriate and is the only method of dealing with this matter."