A luxury car garage worker ordered thousands of pounds worth of parts to sell on for private profit.
John Walmsley from Fife pretended to suppliers the goods and services were needed for customer orders at Stewart Roden Motors, a Porsche and Ferrari specialist in Winchburgh, West Lothian.
However, in a course of dishonesty lasting nearly two-and-a-half years, the parts manager secretly sold on expensive components and services to his own “customers” and pocketed the cash proceeds.
Walmsley, 37, of Pitcorthie in Dunfermline, pled guilty at Livingston Sheriff Court to obtaining £36,800 by fraud between May 8, 2016 and September 7, 2019.
He was originally charged with profiting to the tune of more than £50,000 but the Crown accepted his guilty plea to the lesser amount.
The court was told Walmsley pretended to his employers that payment for the motor parts or services was required for customer orders, knowing the orders no longer existed or were no longer required.
The charge states he induced the firm’s suppliers to supply goods and services and induced Stewart Roden Motors to pay for them.
Depute fiscal Roshni Joshi moved for sentence and revealed Walmsley has no previous criminal record.
Alan Jackson, defending, said he anticipated that the court would require a report into Walmsley’s background before passing sentence and reserved his plea in mitigation until then.
Sheriff Douglas Kinloch agreed.
He told Walmsley: “Given the amended sum is a very large amount I’m going to require reports.”
He adjourned the case until February 17 for a criminal justice social work report and an assessment of Walmsley’s suitability for a restriction of liberty order.
