A disgraced Dundee footballer who embezzled £15,000 from his elderly grandfather has been locked up.
Callous Grant Adam, 30, admitted pocketing the cash from 78-year-old Charles Adam’s Post Office account.
Adam, a previous offender, stole the pensioner’s money at various locations in Dundee while acting as Power of Attorney over his finances, the city’s sheriff court was told.
It was revealed how Adam had been struggling with a gambling addiction and substance misuse at the time of the offence.
Adam’s solicitor said he was “genuinely remorseful” for his actions and believed there were several alternatives to a custodial sentence.
However, a sheriff slated Adam’s conduct and ruled only a prison term is appropriate.
“I appreciate that there are alternatives available to me but this was a despicable crime,” Sheriff George Way said.
“More than that, you are not a first offender. This was persistent.
“I must, in my opinion, mark this by a custodial sentence.”
Fall from grace
Adam, the brother of Dundee FC captain Charlie Adam, was originally charged with embezzling £22,930 while acting as Power of Attorney between June 5, 2019 and January 6, 2020.
The offences happened on Balmoral Terrace, Whitehall Street, Fintry Road, Albert Street, The Hawthorns and elsewhere.
The Crown accepted a guilty plea to a reduced figure of £15,000, taken between October 1, 2019 and January 6, 2020.
Adam, of Findowrie Street, Dundee, admitted withdrawing the funds and appropriating them for his own use.
He played as a goalkeeper for Rangers and the Scotland under-21 national team as well as picking up a League Cup winners’ medal with St Mirren.
Adam also had brief spells with Dundee, Forfar, Cowdenbeath and Morton and signed with Midland League side Lochee United in June.
Substance misuse and gambling addiction
On Thursday, Adam, clutching a holdall, appeared in the dock following the preparation of social work reports.
Jim Laverty, defending, said: “I make no bones about this, this will be seen by many as a particularly despicable offence.
“He accepts that and is genuinely remorseful.
“At the time of the offence, he was in a particularly bad place and had succumbed to certain addictions.
“The shame of this offence has acted as a catalyst for him to stop that type of behaviour.
“There was substance misuse and a gambling addiction.”
Mr Laverty added: “Mr Adam is under no doubt about the very precarious position which he is in.
“There would be little, if any, rehabilitation in the prison.”
Sheriff Way sentenced Adam to eight months in prison, reduced from 12 months.