A Perth charity shop manager stole more than £800 which had been donated to help cancer victims.
Amy Lees, 31, was in charge of the Cancer Research UK shop on the city’s Scott Street when she committed the theft.
Lees, Malvina Place, Perth, claimed she stole the cash after getting into financial difficulty and falling behind with her rent.
At Perth Sheriff Court yesterday depute fiscal Bill Kermode stated that the alarm was first raised by the financial department of Cancer Research UK who noticed that there had been discrepancies with banking.
Normal procedure for the store was to bank takings on a daily basis. However, the financial department contacted another shop employee to highlight the fact that the takings had not been banked for a few days.
The financial auditor made arrangements to attend the store the next day when she informed the accused that she was there to pick up a cheque for the bank.
Mr Kermode told the court that Lees then admitted that she had “borrowed some money”.
When asked how much, she replied by shrugging her shoulders.
The accused then made her way to her personal locker where she removed a banking bag that had two days of takings.
Mr Kermode said: “During a subsequent meeting with the accused she admitted taking money and that she knew it was wrong. She stated there was no malice intended.”
Lees was then dismissed from her post with immediate effect.
Under police interview Lees told officers that she had got herself into financial difficulty and had fallen behind with her rent.
She added that she had fully intended to pay the money back.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis told Lees: “You have breached trust. The charity is out of pocket which is reprehensible.”
Lees admitted that between March 13 and March 31 last year at Cancer Research UK store, Scott Street, Perth, while in a position of trust as store manager, she embezzled £804.39.
Sheriff Foulis ordered Lees to complete 140 hours unpaid work, pay £532.36 compensation and undergo nine months supervision.