A Fife woman “abused the extra opportunity” of lockdown to steal £8,000 from a charity.
Sharon McIntosh, 52, embezzled the money while employed as an assistant manager at Express Group Fife Ltd, which helps people cope with poor mental health.
She admitted committing the crime between May 2020 and March last year.
Dunfermline Sheriff Court heard she has a previous conviction for a similar offence.
Speaking about the theft from their charity, a spokesperson for Kirkcaldy-based Express Group Fife said: “This has been a very sad and unfortunate situation.
“We are a small charity dedicated to helping people experiencing poor mental health cope with their situation.
“This was a long-serving and trusted member of staff who abused their position and the extra opportunity the lockdown afforded them to steal money from our service users.
“The individual concerned has not been an employee of our organisation since April 2021.”
Details of her past crime were not related in court but were a factor in McIntosh being jailed for a second time, the sentencing sheriff said last week.
Staff raised concerns
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told the court McIntosh was responsible for facilitating group activities for vulnerable people at Express Group Fife.
Ms Robertson said McIntosh, of Ballingry‘s Navitie Park, was responsible for banking, payments of bills and petty cash.
The fiscal depute said a charity manager raised concerns about a potential oversight in the accounts and they found a pile of letters at their headquarters which revealed large amounts of cash had been withdrawn from the charity’s account.
These payments had not been sanctioned and the manager and an accountant contacted police.
This was a planned, deliberate course of dishonest conduct committed against your employer which happens to be a charitable organisation.”
— Sheriff James MacDonald.
Further enquiries established a large amount of money had been transferred to a bank account in McIntosh’s name.
McIntosh pled guilty last month to embezzling £8,000 at home and other locations in Fife on various occasions between May 14 2020 and March 8 2021.
Court papers state while operating in her employment, she carried out numerous cash withdrawals of funds belonging to Express Group Fife Ltd and carried out bank transfers of funds belonging to the charity into bank accounts held in her name.
Jailed for second offence
Sheriff James MacDonald jailed McIntosh for six months.
The sheriff told her: “This was a planned, deliberate course of dishonest conduct committed against your employer which happens to be a charitable organisation.
“That amounts to a gross breach of trust.
“You have a directly analogous previous conviction – an almost identical offence 12 years ago.
“This was dealt with by prison. It seems there has been little deterrent effect.”
Defence lawyer Aime Allan said McIntosh was dismissed from her job and that she claimed there had been issues in the family at the time.
The lawyer said her client also suffers from depression and anxiety and drinking alcohol related to guilt around this offence.
Ms Allan also said McIntosh said she has paid back £4,000 from withheld wages and holiday pay.
