Mum admits embezzling from firm

A MUM who funded a lavish lifestyle of posh hotel stays in Dubai and Tenerife is facing more time behind bars after admitting embezzling hundreds of thousands of pounds – for a second time.

Kerryanne Clarke, 40, pocketed almost £255,000 from Bell building project in Govan using company money and credit card.

The fraudster spent £368 on a stay at Hotel Du Vin and £2581 at the Atlantis Palm Hotel in Dubai as well as £3778 for a five star all-inclusive hotel in Tenerife.

She also bought other luxury goods which she claimed was to hide from her family she had a £180-a day cocaine habit.

She was jailed for three years in February 2017 for embezzling £372,163 from another company and it was during this investigation that the current crime was discovered.

Clarke, from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty yesterday at Glasgow Sheriff Court, to embezzling £254,735 between July 2014 and January 2017 from the commercial and industrial construction company.

The court heard that during the investigation in to her earlier crimes, suspicious transactions relating to Bell Building Projects led the police to them.

Clarke began working for the company in July 2014 as the financial controller, earning £38,000.

Procurator fiscal depute Deborah Carroll said the police visited the company in January 2017 to look at whether had taken from them. She said: “It became apparent money had been embezzled from the company.

“The the accused was interviewed by two company directors on January 23, 2017 and was questioned about the missing funds. The accused admitted taking the funds and claimed to have a cocaine addiction.”

The sheriff questioned why she spent the cash funding an extravagant lifestyle.

Miss Connelly said: “She required to provide evidence to her husband of a lifestyle they would have expected to enjoy if she hadn’t been spending the money she earned and embezzled on cocaine.”

Sheriff John McCormick deferred sentence for reports and continued her bail.