The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Owner forgives double booking castle fraudster
Scammer nearly ruined business by siphoning off cash for venue
The multi-millionaire owner of Guthrie Castle has said he has forgiven the scammer who threatened his business with ruin.
Dan Pena stepped in to save the weddings of dozens of heartbroken couples whose plans were thrown into turmoil by the actions of estate manager Craig Williamson.
The 34-year-old was responsible for selling the venue to wedding parties but was found to be funnelling their money into his own bank account.
As his deception spiralled out of control, it emerged he was double and triple booking the castle and using the cash to pay for his gambling addiction.
Mr Pena has been left counting the cost and has had to pay compensation and help around 39 couples caught up in the £130,000 fraud.
Nonetheless, he hopes his former employee can turn his life around.
“I’m a seasoned guy and thought that in 50 years or so in business I had seen pretty much everything, but I was gobsmacked by this,” Mr Pena said.
“We put our trust in someone and he let us down.
“There are crooks everywhere and you can’t keep crooks from being crooks but with Craig there was no indication of this until it all came to light.”
Mr Pena said the fraud emerged when a bride called to check her booking – and he and his staff realised the date was double booked.
“We thought it was just a mistake. I never thought in my wildest imagination that we were actually double and in some cases triple booking weddings.”
Though he has had to use his own money to honour bookings and has taken the decision not to hold further weddings at Guthrie Castle, Mr Pena said he wished Williamson only the best.
“I hope he goes on and turns his life around and makes a success of himself,” he said. “I wish him well.”
Williamson appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court this week to admit fraud.
He will be sentenced on September 13.