The former manager of a Dr Noodles restaurant has been jailed after she admitted pocketing nearly £50,000 to fund a lifestyle “well above her means”.
Ex-law student Jade Gibson was snared by CCTV at the Dundee branch after bosses became concerned about a number of cancelled orders on the days she was working.
After being caught, the 29-year-old said she had spent the tens of thousands she had taken from the Nethergate restaurant.
A warrant was previously ordered for Gibson’s arrest after she repeatedly failed to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Gibson was locked up after a sheriff ruled only a prison sentence could mark the gravity of her thefts.
“This was a sustained fraud over 21 months, in which you embezzled £47,000,” Sheriff Craig Harris said.
“You saw the opportunity to manipulate card transactions at the till.
“It was both a systematic and structured scheme, designed to profit you and avoid detection.
“This was a gross breach of trust.
“Your employers have lost £47,000 and they have no prospect of getting that back.
“You took it and used it for your own purposes – to live well beyond your legitimate means.”
Made up orders without staff knowledge
Fiscal depute Gavin Burton explained how Gibson, who had worked for the company since 2011, would often prepare orders herself without the knowledge of other staff members.
He said: “The decision was made to renew the CCTV system, installing a camera above the till.
“Following a weekend when she had worked, they reviewed the CCTV and discovered the accused had been embezzling money from the business.
“She repeatedly cancelled card transactions.
“She prepared the orders herself to not alert colleagues.
“She was seen using the calculator on her mobile phone immediately after serving customers.”
Gibson was later confronted by management but said the money had “all been spent”.
She made full admissions to police during her interview with the court hearing that Gibson was living well beyond her means.
Dropped out of law school
It was revealed how neither Gibson’s partner nor her family had any knowledge of her crimes.
Gibson, of Shetland Place, Kirkcaldy, admitted embezzling £47,000 from Dr Noodles on Nethergate between May 3, 2016 and February 14, 2018, while she was employed as manager.
Solicitor Jim Laverty said Gibson, who had previously been studying law, “utterly regrets” her actions.
“She expressed remorse particularly in relation to the breach of trust.
“She had been a valued employee.
“She spent some time at university. She left and began a training contract.
“This is a crime which will prevent her following the profession she wished to follow and that is a significant source of sadness for her.”
Gibson was sentenced to 12 months in prison.
