A man who stole thousands of pounds from the Fife branch of an international book recycling project claims he did so because of a gambling addiction and low pay.
Stephen Hamilton embezzled £3,775 from the Dunfermline branch of Better World Books, a social enterprise that sells books online to raise money for local libraries and other literary programmes.
He was working there as a procurement co-ordinator at the time.
It was the second time 31-year-old Hamilton had swindled money from an employer.
Procurator fiscal depute Azrah Yousaf told the Dunfermline Sheriff Court how he was eventually caught.
Se said a Better World Books employee received a Facebook message in early 2021 from a wholesale customer in Myanmar enquiring about the collection of five pallets of books.
The employee had no knowledge of this and it transpired through messages the customer in the Asian country had sent payment directly to Hamilton’s bank account.
An internal investigation was launched and police were called.
The fiscal depute said: “It was established the accused embezzled money from February to December 2020 by contacting clients for the company, providing his own bank details for them to transfer money into his account meant for Better World Books.”
Gambling addiction
Hamilton initially declined to comment when spoken to by police.
But Ms Yousaf said: “He then went on to say money paid into his bank account was meant for Better World Books and he had taken it and said he was stupid and took it because he was struggling for money and was not paid very well and had a gambling addiction.
“At the end of the interview he said he would like to apologise for his dishonesty.”
The court heard Hamilton, of Kirkcaldy‘s Cedar Avenue, resigned from his position at on December 31, 2020.
He previously admitted embezzling £3,775 while working as a procurement co-ordinator at the branch in Dunfermline’s Castle Industrial Estate, between February and December 2020.
Defence lawyer Graham Inch said Hamilton is prepared to make efforts to repay the money and has been in contact with an online agency to help with his gambling difficulties.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told Hamilton: “This is the second time that you have dishonestly appropriated money from an employer.
“I accept the first time was now some time ago but it’s highly relevant in relation to this offence.”
Sheriff Macnair told Hamilton to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and placed him on a four-month curfew order which means he must stay at home from 7pm to 7am, seven days a week.
The sentence was made as a direct alternative to custody.
Local causes
Better World Books is a US retailer and literary fundraiser, described on its website as “the world’s leading socially conscious online bookseller”.
It collects and sells books to generate funds for literary causes around the world.
The firm opened its UK base in Dunfermline in 2008, offering hundreds of thousands of new and used titles.
Within its first two years of opening, the Fife distribution centre helped its UK operations raise more than £100,000 for local libraries and other causes, by re-using and recycling more than 650,000 books.
The firm has book bank collection points at recycling centres across the country.
Last year, the Dunfermline branch awarded cash to local schemes nominated by its employees.
It gave £3,500 each to the Carnegie Birthplace Museum and the Scottish Book Trust, to support its Reading is Caring programme.
A further £3,000 was shared between Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts Community Club, Southwood Primary School in Glenrothes and Fairview School.
