Taxi worker stole money from employer

A Fallin taxi firm worker who stole more than £500 from his employer has been ordered to carry out unpaid work.

Robert Nicholson, of Kersie Place, Throsk, had admitted a charge of forcing open a locked money box and stealing cash at Saturn Taxis in Stirling Road on February 23 this year.

Fiscal depute Rachel Wallace told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday last week that a witness, a member of staff, had been alerted by a colleague at 6pm that day that the accused was in the control room “under the influence of alcohol or another substance”.

When the witness entered the control room Nicholson confirmed that he was under the influence and was taken home.

Some hours later, the fiscal depute said, the witness noticed that a money box’s latch had been broken and its padlock was missing.

The witness knew there should have been between £400 to £600 inside the box, but the cash had disappeared, Ms Wallace added.

At 10am the following day the witness looked at CCTV which showed the accused leaving his desk, and taking a tool from a toolbox before going to the money box and forcing it open.

He then removed money from the box and placed it in his bag.

Police were contacted at 9.45pm and officers attended at Nicholson’s home with a search warrant.

Officers spoke to Nicholson who told them he would return £507.13, adding: ‘It was a moment of madness’.

The cash was returned to the firm. Nicholson’s lawyer Alastair Ross told Sheriff Wyllie Robertson that a social work report prepared for the court “makes clear that the seriousness of this matter is not lost on Mr Nicholson”.

The offence, added the solicitor, was “a significant breach of trust”.

Mr Ross pointed out that Nicholson’s last offence had been 2014 and this was his first offence for dishonesty.

His client suffered from anxiety, he said, and used alcohol as “a coping mechanism”.

However, Nicholson had taken steps to address this and was “getting considerable benefit” from a support group.

Nicholson had responsibility for his children and was also getting support from his partner, Mr Ross added.

The solicitor stressed that Nicholson accepted his guilt and had immediately returned the cash.

A recommendation in the social work report for a community payback order with supervision and unpaid work, added Mr Ross, was “well argued” and an appropriate sentence.

Sheriff Robertson sentenced 37-yearold Nicholson to a community payback order comprising 160 hours’ unpaid work, reduced from 240 hours, to be completed within 12 months.