A Dunblane woman who faked cancer to dodge embezzlement charges has had more than £30,000 confiscated.
Devious Fiona Barnes, 52, was jailed for 14 months earlier this year after pleading guilty to siphoning off huge sums of cash from Social Enterprise Clydebank (SEC), for which she was project manager.
She had faked a doctor’s note diagnosing herself with cancer as she tried to escape justice.
On Wednesday, a ruling at Dumbarton Sheriff Court under Proceeds of Crime legislation saw her stripped of £30,781.
Barnes was employed by SEC to manage a £110,000 grant provided by the Big Lottery Fund to develop new business premises.
Between March 2009 and April 2010 she embezzled £30,781 of these funds, including payment of £23,805 to accounts held in the name of a relative.
Lindsey Miller, procurator fiscal for organised crime and counter terrorism, said: “Fiona Barnes set out to line her own pockets with money intended to help the local community.”
“Despite her attempts to avoid justice, she now faces a lengthy period behind bars, and today we have secured a confiscation order for the entirety of the money which she embezzled.”
“All funds recovered will be added to the £88 million already gathered from Proceeds of Crime to be re-invested in the community by Scottish Ministers, through the CashBack for Communities programme.”
The court heard how Barnes set about duping her employers and fellow workers by falsifying invoices and forging documents to make three bank transactions to accounts set up in the names of several of her relatives.
Concerned co-workers noticed discrepancies in the financial affairs and called the police.
Her actions eventually came to light after a number of discrepancies in the organisation’s financial transactions were picked up on and concerned co-workers called police.
She then presented the falsified medical reports claiming she was suffering from cancer, complete with fake doctors’ signatures, as she sought to avoid court.
Based at Clydebank Business Park, SEC held charitable status and provided site maintenance for social landlords, which included things like external ground maintenance and close cleaning.
It went into liquidation in March 2012 amid claims of mismanagement and resulted in 26 people losing their jobs.