The boss of a Perthshire business development group has been accused of embezzling thousands of pounds from a theatre company which launched the careers of Paulo Nutini and James McAvoy.
David McCann is alleged to have conned the Pace Theatre Company in Paisley out of more than £14,000 over a period of more than three years.
The 57-year-old was involved with the company prior to being appointed manager of Crieff Succeeds in October 2018.
At a court hearing at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday the case was adjourned to allow forensic accountants to complete a report for the Crown.
Solicitor Edward Gilroy, representing McCann, told the court the Crown needed to “consider material contained in a forensic financial report.”
The paperwork is understood to contain information from HMRC.
Making the application to adjourn the case, depute fiscal Carol Cameron said: “The report needs to be available and we need to consider that report and decisions need to be made.”
Sheriff David Pender set a date for a new hearing in April.
McCann, of Lomond Drive, Glasgow, denies embezzling £14,060 from Pace, on School Wynd, Paisley, between December 1 2013 and March 31 2017.
Pace was founded by McCann in 1988 and, under his stage name of David Wallace, he performed as the Dame in its pantos for more than two decades.
The company currently has around 2,000 members and stages performances throughout Scotland.
McCann also sat on the board of directors for Paisley First and the Paisley Community Trust, as well as being involved in the bid to have Paisley named UK City of Culture 2021.
As boss of Crieff Succeeds, he was responsible for last year’s successful Cowches trail.
The project saw 11 brightly painted Highland cow benches dotted around the town for a period of two months.
The Cowches were painted by different artists who won commissions to design the sculptures which were sponsored by businesses and independent private donors.
The organisers said the project attracted as many as 15,000 people to the area before the sculptures were auctioned off to raise almost £25,000 for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA).
