A judge has set a date for a court hearing to recover the ill-gotten gains of a crooked north-east nan who embezzled over £1.5 million from her Aberdeen employers.
Coleen Muirhead, 56, was jailed for three years and three months in September last year after swindling £ 1,524,192.37 from Panda Rosa Metals in Canal Road.
Between June 2015 and October 2021, she indulged in expensive holidays and bought cars and caravans.
However, after the greedy granny was locked up for stealing, prosecutors launched a legal bid back in January to claw back the money.
Today, during a short procedural hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lady Ross arranged for proceeds of crime proceedings to take place next year.
‘She has brought shame to her family’
A two-day hearing will take place in May 2025.
A court previously heard that Muirhead’s dishonesty was revealed when she wrote to a colleague and said: “Police have just raided! So I will need a visitor in jail! Please don’t think the worst of me.”
When the colleague expressed confusion, Muirhead responded: “Don’t be I have taken the money am so sorry.”
Muirhead, of Farquhar Road, Aberdeen, a mother of four and grandmother to seven, admitted to police after her arrest that she was responsible for creating false accounts and stealing money from the firm.
Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said: “On the face of it, it is difficult to fathom why the offence was committed. She was previously a law-abiding citizen.”
But Mr Gilmartin said the social work report prepared on her set out “significant childhood trauma” and difficulties in her upbringing.
“She had used alcohol and gambling as a coping mechanism,” he told the court.
He said that, following the death of her father, her drinking and gambling increased as did her offending.
Mr Gilmartin explained: “This offending behaviour started off as a small matter and escalated quickly.”
He added: “The report makes clear she is remorseful and she regrets the offending. She acknowledges she has brought shame to her family.”
The solicitor advocate told the court his client sought to apologise to the McAllister family, who own and operate the business and employed the offender.
“She is fearful of custody, but accepts she committed the offence and requires to be punished,” Mr Gilmartin said.
Muirhead paid for her son’s wedding, purchased static caravans and set up ISAs for her grandchildren
The court heard that the company, a metal recycling firm, ran two sites in Aberdeen and Muirhead had worked with the firm as an administrative assistant since July 2014.
Prosecutor David Dickson said scrap metal was brought to the sites by firms and individuals and weighed.
A ticket was produced and sent to staff who provided an advice note of materials, weight and price.
Sellers then sent an invoice for payment.
Mr Dickson explained: “During the course of the years following the accused beginning employment with Panda Rosa, another employee, who was responsible for instructing payment of the accused’s wages, became aware that she went on expensive holidays with her family, paid for a full table at a charity event, purchased alcohol for those attending the event and bought new motor vehicles.
“The accused also told her that she had paid for her son’s wedding, had purchased static caravans and had set up ISAs for her grandchildren,” the prosecutor said.
Muirhead’s embezzlement came to light after a senior partner in the firm reviewed records and concluded that something was not right.
She began looking for information about a ‘G Anderson’ who appeared to be a significant customer but turned out to be invented by Muirhead.
Police were contacted and a systematic search of her home was carried out.
Mr Dickson told the court: “Documents in relation to credit cards, financial letters relating to the purchase of motor cars and motorcycles, documentation relating to ISAs for family members, £2,312 in cash, £3,300 in gift vouchers and documentation in relation to the purchase of two static caravans to the value of £78,077 were recovered.”
Prosecutors will try to persuade a judge that Muirhead should hand over her ill-gotten gains to the authorities.
The hearing against her will take place on May 8 and 9 next year.
Read more:
Aberdeen nan’s ‘proceeds of crime’ home contains unsafe concrete, court told
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