The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Worker accused of stealing from firm
An office support manager lied about her father’s death after stealing almost £6,000 from the firm of architects she worked for, a court was told.
Kirsty Kean, 43, is accused of overpaying herself, making two unauthorised transactions worth more than £2,000 each and setting up a business account with Premier Inn while working for Muir Walker Pride architects in St Andrews.
A trial at Dundee Sheriff Court heard claims Kean lied to the firm’s directors about her father having died, before letting slip that it was her uncle who had passed away.
Kean denies embezzling £5,770.46 from the Church Street firm between July 30 and October 31 2017.
The court heard how Kean, of Blaefaulds Crescent, Denny, had access to the company bank accounts and was responsible for paying wages.
Company director Ian Muir, 54, said he and his wife – fellow director Reseda Muir – confronted Kean after they found her overpaying herself by more than £400, with a gross, instead of net, salary.
During questioning from prosecutor Larissa Milligan, Mr Muir said: “Kirsty Kean said she made a mistake and it was an error – she apologised for that.
“She said she would pay it back and we had a conversation with our accountant.
“We were willing to accept this was a genuine error.
“Following that, I think there was a certain amount deducted for the next month’s salary but her employment did not last the two to three months that was required to cover that money.”
Mr Muir told the court he later checked a bank statement after a 10-day holiday and noticed Kean had made two separate transactions for £2,300, disguised as “pension” payments.
Miss Milligan asked: “Did you authorise any lump sums to go to a pension? Did you authorise any lump sums to Miss Kean at all?”
In response, Mr Muir said: “No.”
The court heard the bank account pass codes had been changed and Mr Muir tried to raise the issue with Kean.
But the accused claimed her father had had a heart attack and later died, causing her to take time off work.
Screenshots displayed to the court showed Kean later sent a text to Mr Muir saying her uncle had died.
Mr Muir said Kean denied any responsibility for the transactions in a meeting and was “horrified” at the suggestion she was defrauding the company.
It was later stated Kean had charged the company £274.90 for a two-day stay at a Premier Inn in Newcastle.
Mr Muir denied any suggestion this was an authorised payment.
He also replied “absolutely not” when asked if it was correct that the first £2,300 payment was a bonus paid to Kean.
Kean had also claimed she raised concerns about the practices of the company, as well as claiming a former member of staff still had access to the finances. This was again denied by Mr Muir.
The trial, before Sheriff Paul Brown, was adjourned until later this month.