Doctors have welcomed an 18-month prison sentence for the manager of their East Kilbride medical practice who stole £155,000 from them.
Jacqueline Rodger, 55, of Pentland Road, East Kilbride, was sentenced at Hamilton Sheriff Court this week.
The doctors said she had “destroyed” the long-established practice which was forced to close as a result of the cash loss.
Rodger admitted embezzling the money from Greenhills Medical Practice between April 2014 and February 2018.
She was originally charged with taking more than £224,000 between July 2011 and February 2018, but her guilty plea to the charge involving a reduced sum was accepted.
Doctors from the practice watched Rodger being sentenced and outside court, in a joint statement, said: “We’re delighted she’s been given custody as she put us through four years of hell.
“We never suspected Rodger as we regarded her as a trusted colleague and a friend.
“We had a very busy practice and she destroyed that. The money she took would have been used to employ another doctor and improve our services further."
Defence agent Kevin Corr had asked Sheriff Martin Jones to consider an alternative to prison.
He said Rodger and her husband were willing to sell their home in order to pay back at least some of the money taken.
Mr Corr added: "She is terrified at the prospect of going into custody.
"She is a first offender and has significant mental health difficulties and various physical ailments."
But the sheriff told Rodger: "This is a very serious offence. You embezzled approximately £155,000 while employed as a trusted manager who was supposed to look after funds, and you did this over four years.
"Your culpability is high and the harm caused was significant.
"I do not consider that a community-based disposal would sufficiently reflect the gravity of the offence and have decided that custody is the only appropriate sentence in this case."
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