An Aberdeen woman has been handed a hefty fine after she embezzled £1,600 from her employer over a five-day period.
Beverley Birnie appeared at the city’s sheriff court yesterday to be sentenced having previously admitted taking the cash from Wilson’s Newsagent on King Street.
The court heard the 46-year-old was caught by CCTV cameras set up by her employer after he started to notice the business was losing money.
Fiscal depute Lynzi Souter said Birnie, who had worked at the shop for almost 30 years, was recorded while she was working behind the till between March 6 and 11.
On numerous occasions she could be seen opening the cash register before removing bundles of money.
She then stuffed the cash into her pockets before walking over to her handbag which had been placed nearby.
The footage then shows Birnie emptying her pockets into her handbag.
Mrs Souter said Birnie was seen on the CCTV repeating this tactic on a number of occasions until she had taken a total of about £1,600.
Representing Birnie, solicitor David Sutherland said his client had been going through a difficult time emotionally when she committed the offence.
He said her mother-in-law had just died and she was struggling to cope.
Mr Sutherland said Birnie, of 72 Goodhope Park, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, accepted she had been in a position of trust.
He said she had lost her job as a result of her offending and hoped to try to get back into work.
Sheriff Annella Cowan fined Birnie £1,000 and ordered her to pay back all the money she had embezzled.