Sheriff offers Scrabster woman a chance to avoid jail for £25k fraud
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A Caithness woman who stole more than £25,000 from a community association has avoided a jail stint.
Christina Bennett was instead ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work as part of a community order.
Sheriff Neil Wilson warned the 37-year-old first offender that any slacking would land her with a stint behind bars.
Bennett was appearing at Wick Sheriff Court on Wednesday having previously admitted embezzling £25,680 from Scrabster Community Association between November 25, 2021 and September 26, 2022.
Sentence was deferred until Wednesday for the preparation of reports.
The court heard that all the money has been repaid by Bennett's parents.
Suspicion fell on her when discrepancies were found in the accounts of the association, which Bennett then chaired.
Fiscal David Barclay said she seemed relieved when the fraud was uncovered.
While she readily confessed, she did not indicate what she had done with the money.
Solicitor Fiona MacDonald said that when Bennett's parents became aware of the fraud, they immediately took steps to repay the money.
"As soon as she (Bennett) disclosed it to her mother, there was a family meeting," said the agent.
"The aim was to ensure the association continued – that is very important to the family."
While the parents had repaid the money, Ms MacDonald said they have made clear that their daughter must now reimburse them.
The court heard the mother-of-three works full-time as a computer call centre worker and also has a weekend job.
Sheriff Wilson said the reports had outlined the difficulties that had led Bennett to committing the offence.
He told her it was open to him to jail Bennett for a lengthy period.
He said: "I'm not going to do that because of the early contrition you showed, your previous good character and your full-time employment and family responsibilities.
"Nevertheless, the matter you pleaded guilty to is a serious one."
The sheriff said the two-year community payback order is a direct alternative to prison.
As part of it, Bennett, of Holborn Place, Scrabster, will have to carry out the unpaid work under the supervision of a social worker.
Sheriff Wilson said the stints of community service would have to be arranged around her two jobs.
The sentence, he stressed, is not “a soft option”.
He told her: "If you don't turn up for your work, your employer can sack you.
"If you don't turn for the unpaid work, I can send you to prison."
