Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
SHAMELESS
A Coatbridge fraudster who has embezzled more than £600,000 to fund her luxury lifestyle and drug addiction is back behind bars – after conning a second building firm out of more than a quarter of a million pounds.
Bell Building Projects Ltd has slammed the “wholly inadequate” 10-month prison sentence handed down to callous crook Kerryanne Clarke for the “absolute abuse” of her trusted position as financial controller.
Clarke, 40, pocketed almost £255,000 during a three-year spell with the Glasgow-based business, using a company credit card and cash to splash out on stays at fivestar hotels in Dubai and Spain.
The mum-of-two began stealing from the firm in July 2014 – the same month she ended a four-year period of embezzlement that saw her steal £372,163 from Elmwood Construction Services Ltd during more than 360 transactions.
The Carnbroe resident was jailed for three years in Februar y 2017 for her selfish actions, which saw 92 employees
made redundant at Christmas 2014. Referring to Clarke’s latest sentencing, a Bell Building Projects Ltd spokesperson told the Advertiser: “She embezzled a significant sum of money to fund her drug addiction and provide for a luxury lifestyle for her and her family considerably beyond their reasonable means. “We feel let down by the sentence imposed by the court, which we consider to be wholly inadequate given the severity of the charge and this being a repeat offence.”
A shameless crook who funded a lavish lifestyle of luxurious hotel stays in Dubai – as well as an expensive cocaine habit – is back behind bars after embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds from a second trusting employer.
Disgraced Carnbroe mum-of-two Kerryanne Clarke, 40, pocketed nearly £255,000 from Govan firm Bell Building Projects Ltd.
The theft occurred between 2014 and 2017, with Clarke systematically abusing a company credit card and taking cash.
Clarke’s brazen actions began the same month she ended a four-year period of embezzlement that saw her transfer £372,163 from another building company, Elmwood Construction Services Ltd, into her personal accounts.
Those transactions – of which there were more than 360 – led to 92 employees being made redundant just before Christmas in 2014.
Clarke was jailed for three years in February 2017 for this offence and it was during that investigation that her other crime was discovered.
The latest offence saw the fraudster, who worked as a financial controller at Bell Building Projects Ltd, spend £2581 at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai and £3778 at a five-star hotel in Tenerife.
She also bought other luxury goods which she claimed was to hide her £ 180- a- day cocaine habit from her family.
Clarke pled guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison at Glasgow Sheriff Court last week – an outcome Bell Building Projects Ltd has slammed as “wholly inadequate”.
A spokesperson for the firm told the Advertiser: “Kerryanne Clarke was employed as a financial controller between July 2014 and January 2017.
“During this time, she embezzled a significant sum of money to fund her drug addiction and provide for a luxury lifestyle for her and her family considerably beyond their reasonable means.
“This absolute abuse of her position of authority was for personal gain, and to the short-term detriment of the business.
“We wish to extend our thanks to Police Scotland for their diligent and thorough investigation to bring this matter to prosecution.
“However, we feel let down by the sentence imposed by the court, which we consider to be wholly inaccurate given the severity of the charge and this being a repeat offence.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to our loyal and dedicated employees who have worked tirelessly to overcome the avoidable difficulties caused by Kerryanne Clarke’s criminal actions.”
During Clarke’s sentencing last week, Sheriff John McCormick told her he took account of everything said on her behalf and accepted it was a course of conduct.
He added that, “nevertheless the appropriate sentence” was prison, and reduced her jail time to 10 months from 15 because of her guilty plea.
The court heard that, during the investigation into Clarke’s earlier crimes, suspicious transactions relating to Bell Building Projects Ltd led the police to them.
Clarke began working for the company in July 2014 as its financial controller, earning £38,000 per year.
Procurator fiscal depute Deborah Carroll said police visited the company in January 2017 to look at whether she had stolen from them.
She said: “It became apparent money had been embezzled from the company.
“The accused was interviewed by two company directors on January 23, 2017, and was questioned about the missing funds.
“The accused admitted taking the funds and claimed to have a cocaine addiction.
“Her employment was terminated and the directors began a detailed examination of accounts and obtained information in relation to the embezzlement that was given to the police.”
Miss Carroll added that the full amount of the embezzlement was discovered, and that it was carried out over a number of transactions and from using the company credit card for “unauthorised purchases”.
Clarke spent £16,738 on the credit card alone, as well as cash that “should have been used for legitimate payments and expenses for the company”.
She was released early from her initial three-year prison sentence and, in April of last year, was arrested and questioned by police about her latest crime.
She admitted the embezzlement and told them of her cocaine addiction.
Miss Carroll said that Bell Building Projects Ltd was taken to court by creditors when payments weren’t made, but the firm missed the hearing because Clarke had been hiding mail.
Defence counsel Clare Connelly said Clarke admitted this offence before her earlier court case and argued there had been a delay in bringing this case to court.
She said: “During her period in custody she was an exemplary prisoner and it allowed her to fully address her addiction which is what underpinned both episodes.”
The court heard Clarke spent around £180 a day on cocaine which her family knew nothing about.
The sheriff questioned why she spent the cash funding an extravagant lifestyle.
Miss Connelly said: “She required to provide evidence to her husband of a lifestyle they would have expected to enjoy if she hadn’t been spending the money she earned and embezzled on cocaine.”
The defence counsel added that Clarke’s course of conduct was “directly linked to the addiction to cocaine which has been addressed”.