The theft of almost £17,000 from a caf at the Police Scotland HQ remains an unsolved crime after a book-keeper was cleared of embezzlement.
The money disappeared over a four-month period at the Starbucks coffee shop at Tulliallan Castle, home of the Scottish Police College, base for the force’s top brass and training centre for detectives.
The thefts, apparently from a safe, took place under the noses of Scotland’s top cops but the identity of the culprit remains a mystery, more than two years on.
The case against Mari Louise Leggat collapsed after flaws in the way the caf was run were highlighted by her solicitor at a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
The Starbucks franchise was run by Sodexo along with other catering services at Tulliallan.
At the trial, part-time book-keeper Mari Louise Leggat was cleared of stealing the money when the Crown case collapsed at the start of the second day of evidence.
Ms Leggat, 28, of Donaldson Court, Kincardine, had denied that between 29th August 2013 and 16th January 2014 at Starbucks, Scottish Police College, Tulliallan, while an employee of Sodexo there, she embezzled £16,967.75.
Defence solicitor Alexander Flett had said at a previous hearing it was not disputed that the money went missing but the issue would be who was responsible for that.
The trial came to an abrupt end following the evidence of a Sodexo senior manager.
Margaret Clark, 48, Sodexo accounts manager for the region, had worked with Ms Leggat at Tulliallan for three weeks to cover during the site manager’s holidays in October 2013.
She noticed no discrepancies during her time there and only heard about the missing cash long afterwards.
“It seemed to be running efficiently. I had no concerns,” she told the court. “The site was nothing to do with me at the time. It was a long time later that I became aware of this.”
She said there were two safes used. A wall safe and another in the floor where the takings were kept and could be opened with a key or by using a code.
Turnover at the caf was around £12,000 a month, said the witness.
Mr Flett asked whether repeated anomalies over the amounts of cash being banked “should have rung alarm bells”.
“Yes it’s something I would have probably looked into,” said Ms Clark.
“You’d be at the till receipts and if they didn’t match what was being banked all hell would let loose in terms of finding out what was going on?” said Mr Flett.
“Yes,” replied Ms Clark.
Mr Flett asked whether a manager would have had to be inept or incompetent not to have reported the discrepancies. Ms Clark conceded that was the case.
After being acquitted, a tearful Ms Leggat declined to comment as she left court.
All new recruits to the police in Scotland are trained at the college at Tulliallan Castle and it also provides leadership and management courses as well as specialist training for detectives.
Tulliallan became HQ for Police Scotland after the unitary force was formed in April 2013.
It emerged recently that Police Scotland’s new Chief Constable Phil Gormley will be living rent-free at Tulliallan after his move from England to take up the top job.