Accountant admits £125k theft from two companies

AN accountant embezzled more than £125,000 from two firms, one of which had to lay off staff shortly before Christmas, a court has heard.

Natalie Taylor stole £88,226 from one firm and was sacked but while being sought by police she took another job and embezzled a further £37,668.

Taylor, 35, used a bank account in her son’s name and those of friends to try to hide the cash.

She appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court from custody and admitted two charges of embezzling from the firms between July last year and August this year. Taylor also admitted stealing a laptop.

The court heard she began working for firm McCann Electrical of Motherwell, Lanarkshire, in June 2017. Deborah Carroll, prosecuting, said that in October last year Taylor did not appear for work, and never returned.

Miss Carroll said the firm later realised payments had been made to accounts belonging to Taylor.

The court heard the effect on the firm included five redundancies because ‘the company could not afford to keep their employment’.

In June this year Taylor obtained another job at a firm of sheriff officers in Glasgow where she handled finances.

However, only six weeks after she started it emerged that she had been stealing and she was sacked.

Taylor, who is due to appear in court next month, was remanded in custody.