By Gordon Berry

A NIGHT auditor working in one of Scotland’s top hotels tied himself up and staged a robbery after he gambled away money he stole from the business.

The details emerged at Cupar Sheriff Court yesterday when Paul Adams (34), described as a prisoner at Perth, appeared on indictment in relation to a case which had initially sparked a major police investigation and the setting up of stop points around St Andrews.

Adams admitted that between February 23 and 26, at the Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, he stole £3776.95.

He further admitted that on February 26, at the hotel, he falsely represented to police that he had been assaulted and robbed in the course of his employment.

Fiscal Edward Russell told the court that the accused had been in custody since being charged by police, and that the offences had occurred after he had been taken on as a night auditor.

Mr Russell said that this employment was gained despite the accused having a previous conviction for embezzlement, and although he was in a position of trust it was not clear if any enquiries had been made about him before he was taken on.

The fiscal said that the money stolen by the accused had been takings for a pub attached to the hotel, and a restaurant.

He said that the accused was supposed to put the money in a safe at the hotel but he had not done so, and he had twice gone to a local bookmakers where he lost a considerable amount of money.

Money had not been put where it belonged in the safe on two different nights, and eventually the accused had taken money from one main safe to replace the pub and restaurant takings in another.

Adams then staged the robbery by striking his head against a wall, tying himself up with cable ties on his arms and legs, and pulling a pillowcase over his head.

He had been found by a fellow member of staff lying on the floor and police had been alerted.

Adams then admitted while being interviewed by police, who had suspected an inside job, that he had committed the offences himself, but the fiscal said the pretence had been taken seriously before then.

Mr Russell said 24 police officers had been involved in the investigation for around eight hours at a cost of £7800, and that £1600 of the stolen money was still missing.

Defence solicitor Douglas Williams told the court that the root cause of the problems for the accused was that his wife had taken their children back to South Africa and had “departed unannounced.”

Adams had paid solicitors a considerable sum and had been left with matrimonial debts of about £34,000. He had taken the money hoping to immediately replace it and scoop any profit from gambling, but his expectations “fell horribly” and he had lost a lot of money.

“Desperation leads to desperate measures and he hatched a rather pathetic scheme to attempt to absolve himself of blame,” said Mr Williams.

Sheriff George Evans deferred sentence on Adams for background and community service reports.

He said that the accused was not the first person to have taken money from his employers in this way, but what made the case unusual was the lengths he went to try and cover his tracks.