Sarah Cockburn abused her position of trust at the firm to make 799 payments into her own bank accounts while working there from January 2013 to July 2019.

After leaving the company “amicably” last year, she found herself at the centre of a criminal investigation following an inquiry into a missing British Gas payment.

The owner of James McVicar Printers was forced to take action to keep the business listed as a going concern.

Mr Cockburn pled guilty to embezzlement at Glasgow Sheriff Court today.

Upon sentencing, Sheriff Andrew Cubie said that Ms Cockburn caused the day to day running of the business to be affected; for example through the threat to the power supply by her diversion of the British Gas funds and the loss of profit which affected wage increases and recruitment.

He added: “This was a gross breach of trust. The actions have had material consequences for the company; the owner had to invest significant sums to keep the business going; he had to realise a substantial asset to fund the company.”

He said that Ms Cockburn’s actions contributed to the company sustaining a loss; the company lost members of the workforce and could not afford to replace them. They had an effect on the personal health of the owner, both physical and psychological; his ability to trust any employee has been undermined.”

Sheriff Cubie intended to impose a period of imprisonment of 33 months but reduced the sentence to 22 months following Ms Cockburn’s guilty plea.