Fraudster spent £30k on clothes for children
A WOMAN embezzled £30,000 f rom her bosses to feed her addiction to internet shopping, a court heard yesterday. Hotel book- keeper Eleanor Buchanan splashed the cash on children’s designer clothing, most of which she still has.
Livingston Sheriff Court heard she was caught after a director at the Hillcroft Hotel in Whitburn, West Lothian, noticed a payment to a supplier he did not recognise.
When he checked, he found the account was in Buchanan’s name – and she had been siphoning off money for a year.
Buchanan, 43, of Shotts, Lanarkshire, pleaded guilty to embezzling
‘She’s addressing her problems’
the cash while she was working f or hotel owner Hilditch Inns between December 2010 and January 2012.
Catherine Knowles, prosecuting, revealed that the mother of three made a f ull confession when challenged at a disciplinary hearing and had co- operated fully with police.
She added: ‘ There were 23 payments f rom one of the hotels accounts amounting to £9,333.87.
‘But there were three accounts the hotel had and she was siphoning money off from all of them into her own account.’
Glenn Fraser, defending, said Buchanan was in debt and had £30,000 negative equity in the house she co- owned, which may now be subject to court action to recover the money.
Her sisters had rallied round and raised £7,000 to repay the hotel and she could personally manage to pay monthly instalments of £50.
He said: ‘The money was all spent on children’s clothes, most of which she still has, unknown to her family.
‘I appreciate how odd and utterly bizarre that sounds but this is a result of her addictive personality not – as most embezzlements are – motivated by greed to improve her lifestyle or take holidays.
‘She was addicted to alcohol and dealt with that, then she became addicted to painkillers following post-natal depression.
‘She’s already addressing the root problems (of her addictions). She’s genuinely remorseful and understands why the money must be repaid.’
Sheriff Jamie Gilmour adjourned the case for a month for information about Buchanan’s finances.
He told her: ‘The court will defer sentence for inquiries to be made as to how much of this £30,000 can be repaid because it may well make the difference between a custodial or non-custodial sentence.’