Woman jailed for stealing £250,000

AWOMAN who stole more than £250,000 to fund her husband’s gambling habit has been jailed for 20 months.

Kathleen Ross stole the cash over four years from Campbell McWilliams in Glasgow city centre.

The 40-year-old worked for her aunt’s accountancy business, who handled the books for the communications firm.

Ross claimed she was “pressured” into committing the theft by her thug partner later convicted of assaulting her in 2019.

She claimed her then unemployed ex-husband ran up a £38,000 SkyBet debt using the dirty cash paid into their joint bank account.

Ross continued to funnel cash into her sole bank account after the pair split due to him having an affair.

The first-time offender mum-of-three pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to the embezzlement of £253,966 between February 2014 and July 2018.

“She stole the money to avoid his critical behaviour and anger towards her.

“Over the next three or four months, there were payments to SkyBet of just under £38,000 and her husband had a gambling habit and her position is, she was put under significant pressure financially.

“They separated in June 2017 when he had an affair and he left the family home to move in with his new partner. The offence continued after he left and I have to accept that. The doctor described in great detail in her background report that she has been diagnosed as having PTSD due to the domestic abuse and has undiagnosed post-natal depression.

“Her aunt doesn’t wish imprisonment as she saw her living through hell and she behaved this way to keep her ex happy.”

Her lawyer Ann Ritchie said: “When it started her husband lost his job and there was an increase in his violence towards her.

The court heard Ross started work at Benham Conway and Co accountants in 2005. Her work was overseen by someone more qualified within the firm including her aunt Kathleen Benham.

Ross was then put in charge of Campbell McWilliams’s bank account with Benham checking her niece. But, prosecutor Amy Hunter said: “On 200 separate occasions, Ross accessed the bank account and transferred money to her own.”

Sheriff Sean Murphy QC told Ross at yesterday’s sentencing: “This was a significant breach of trust and the matter was grave which means I must impose a custodial sentence for deterrence.”