Woman denies fish and chip shop embezzlement

A sting operation was set up by police to catch a thief suspected of embezzling thousands of pounds from an Inverness fish and chip restaurant.

After four days of takings had gone missing in the previous two months, Inverness Sheriff Court heard that serial numbers were recorded and the Royal Bank of Scotland was tipped off before 48- yearold Barbara Mac rae went to the premises to make a deposit.

As a superviser with Lorimer’s Family Restaurant, on Longman Road, Macrae, of 127 Mackay Road, had authority to bank cash every two or three days.

But her trial heard yesterday that, on July 9, after the police preparations, she took three days of revenue to the bank but only lodged two days’ worth.

Macrae denies embezzling £5,550 from the business between May 5 and July 9 last year.

She is represented by lawyer Pauline Chapman.

Fiscal depute Stewart MacIver called Lorimer’s financial controller, 33-yearold Catherine Grant, as his first witness. She told the court she noticed that several days’ takings were missing when doing a routine check of bank statements and other paperwork. Mrs Grant told Sheriff Margaret Neilson “Only a limited number of people were taking money to the bank, so I checked who was responsible for the particular days of missing takings. For May 4, May 28, June 3 and June 21, Barbara was the common denominator.

“The director of the company, Barry Larsen, toldme to inform the police and I wentto see them with three days of takings.

“The serial numbers were recorded, the three bags put back in the safe and the following day, July 9, Barbara took them to the bank.

“She was filmed on CCTV and only two bags were deposited.”

The trial was adjourned yesterday and will resume on August 24.

“The three bags put back in the safe”