AN ANGUS woman who embezzled £30,000 while a practice manager at Friockheim Health Centre was placed on a year’s restriction of liberty order at Arbroath Sheriff Court yesterday.

Ann Carrie (49), of Flairs Avenue, Arbroath, admitted stealing the money between July 1997 and September 2004, and was ordered to pay £5000 to the health centre.

Procurator fiscal Lis Miller said suspicions were aroused in September 2004 when doctors became more involved in the centre’s day-to-day running.

She told the court the centre’s two doctors asked Carrie, who dealt with the finances, to give them the pay slips for the centre’s employees.

“The doctors noticed a discrepancy of approximately £600 between what Carrie showed had gone into the bank account and what had been received—£600 extra each month had been received.

“The doctors contacted the centre’s accountants and asked them to review their records.

“The accountants reluctantly came to the view that Carrie had been paying herself additional salary.”

Carrie was suspended on full pay in October 2004 and resigned from her job the following month.

The matter was sub- sequently referred to Tayside Police.

In a police interview she claimed the extra money was due to working overtime, maternity leave and not taking 10 weeks’ of holiday time.

The case came to court for the first time in November 2006, with Carrie finally pleading guilty on March 31 this year.

Ms Miller added, “She has now acknowledged what the health centre’s position was all along.

“She was well aware that she was not entitled to the £30,000 of money she took while a practice manager, placed in a position of trust.”

Defence advocate James MacDonald said Carrie had been declared bankrupt in 2005, owing money to several creditors, including credit card debts and two unsecured loans.

He said that last year almost £10,000 was paid to the practice by the trustee dealing with her case and expected that another £2500 was to be paid this year.

Mr MacDonald said Carrie had input £40,000 towards her debts through cashing in insurance policies and by remortgaging her house.

He said, “She was an employee of the practice from 1985 to 2004—first as a receptionist.

“In 1994 she was assigned some extra duties and acted as an assistant to the practice manager—she became the practice manager in 1997 when the previous incumbent left.

“The accused had noticed that there was something wrong with the amount she was being paid, but she put this to the back of her mind.

“It was wilful blindness— it was obvious, or ought to be obvious, there was a disparity, and it was on this basis that the crime took place.”

Ms Miller countered, “It is my understanding that the duties as practice manager was not simply attending to the banking of funds.

“Carrie told the bank what to pay each member of staff—including herself.”

Sheriff Norrie Stein said, “I take into account that you are a first offender and that it has been assessed that you are at a low risk of reoffending.”

He continued, “In these days of home detention curfew you could have been placed on a curfew for six months, which would mean you would only spend four-and-a-half months in prison.

“I think there is an alternative to that, which might bring some sort of justice to this case.

“I order you to 12 months’ restriction of liberty order and to pay back a further £5000 to the health centre.”