A sales executive who embezzled thousands from an Aberdeen oil firm could be spared a jail sentence.
Andrew McCraw was found guilty of taking £8,434.80 from Swire Oilfield Services after a trial last year, and was warned at the time that he could be locked up.
However, sentence was deferred to allow the 36-year-old to start making repayments.
And yesterday, when the businessman returned to Aberdeen Sheriff Court, Sheriff William Taylor said he was pleased with the “progress being made” and his attitude.
Deferring sentence for a further three months to allow him to be of good behaviour, the sheriff said: “If he continues to be of good behaviour I do not think custody would be an option in three months time.”
McCraw embezzled the cash between December 15, 2012 and May 31, 2013.
During a two-day trial last year, the court heard McCraw, of 8 Hamilton Place, Aberdeen, had been dismissed from his role as a key account manager on May 2, 2013, due to his poor performance.
He had use of a company credit card, and after his dismissal was asked to provide receipts for his expenses.
But when the statement was checked, there were a number of large cash withdrawals.
McCraw told the court he had not used company funds for his own purposes and said his weak points were “sloppiness and paperwork”.
He launched an appeal against his conviction, which was heard at the High Court in Edinburgh earlier this year.
His counsel Moira Mackenzie said during the trial proceedings there had been a challenge about whether there was sufficient evidence on whether McCraw appropriated funds for his own purposes.
She said the defence was that expenditure on a firm credit card was legitimate expenditure.
The defence counsel said no finding in fact had been made by the sheriff of dishonest appropriation of funds by McCraw.
But Lord Justice General Lord Carloway dismissed the appeal.