‘Walter Mitty’ bank manager lived ‘lottery’ lifestyle thanks to £90,000 embezzlement from Lochee branch
ByGraeme Ogston
A Dundee bank manager who swindled almost £90,000 from his branch to fund a lavish ‘Walter Mitty’ lifestyle is behind bars.
Gordon Irvine siphoned tens of thousands of pounds from the ATM at the Santander bank he ran in Lochee High Street before blowing the cash on foreign holidays to New York and Rio de Janeiro. He also bought widescreen televisions and a new car.
One former colleague who asked Irvine if he had “won the lottery” was told to check his account by the thief and subsequently found a £5,000 deposit there.
The 33-year-old even put £250 into the account of a customer querying a £25 bank charge before embarking on a sexual relationship with her the same night.
Irvine was caught after security staff emptying the ATMs noticed huge discrepancies and launched an investigation.
Only half the cash was ever recovered.
Irvine, of Nicoll Road, Broxburn, was found guilty by a jury after a five-day trial of embezzling £89,340 from the Santander branch between November 1 2010 and June 30 2011.
Sheriff Alistair Carmichael deferred sentence until July 23 and Irvine was remanded in custody.
