Jailed church treasurer stumps up cash
BY ALEXANDER LAWRIE reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk A CHURCH treasurer jailed for stealing more than £70,000 from her congregation has repaid the cash – after her son sold his house.
Janet Farquhar banked £72,155.34 of church funds into her own account over eight years while she was in charge of finances at Chalmers Memorial Church in Port Seton, East Lothian.
The 70-year-old was jailed for 18 months in April after she admitted embezzling the cash.
But she was released just weeks later, pending an appeal against her sentence which is due to be heard at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh today.
A proceeds of crime hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday heard Farquhar has repaid the Church of Scotland the sum she embezzled.
Farquhar was due to sell her home in Cockenzie, East Lothian, to fund the repayment but the court heard the property has an inhibition order placed on it by the Crown and cannot be sold.
Solicitor Ewan Gosney told the court: “The money embezzled has been repaid in full.
“The money has been repaid by the sale of the accused’s son and the daughter-in-law’s property.
“It is the intention that once the inhibition order is lifted and the property can be sold, the proceeds will go back to her son and daughter-in-law. It’s coming from her own funds, albeit indirectly.”
The hearing was continued to yesterday for Sheriff Peter Braid to hear confirmation that the money had been received by the Church of Scotland.
The Crown confirmed the Church had been repaid in full and that the proceeds of crime action against Farquhar was being deserted.
A Church of Scotland spokesperson said: “We welcome the return of £72,000 of the funds that were taken from the congregation and will await with interest the result of justice running its course.”
Farquhar was appointed treasurer of Chalmers Memorial Church in 1999 and embezzled the cash between 2008 and 2016.
She paid cheques worth £59,752.34 into her bank account and took another £12,403 from church collections.