A Tullibody woman has paid off a £183,000 Proceeds of Crime order imposed for embezzling money from her employer.
Karen Humphries, of McAlpine Court, had admitted embezzling £75,000 while employed at mortgage and investment brokers Solicitor Financial Services in Alloa between 2013 and 2016.
The conviction triggered a civil action under the Proceeds of Crime Act – and the following month she was sentenced to 300 hours’ unpaid work as well as 12 months’ supervision.
At Stirling Sheriff Court earlier this year a Crown application was granted to postpone the imposition of an alternative prison sentence under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to enable the prosecutor to apply for the appointment of an administrator.
However, Humphries’ lawyer told Stirling Sheriff Court last week that the Proceeds of Crime order had been repaid in full which the Crown accepted.
In March this year Humphries solicitor had made an application for further time to pay the sum of £183,640.28 under coronavirus legislation.
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The lawyer had pointed out to Sheriff Hamilton that 51-year-old Humphries, a carer for parents who had been shielding during the height of the pandemic, wished to move them into ‘a granny flat’ at her Tullibody home and sell their ‘heritable property’ in Larbert to pay the sum.
There were four properties in total: the McAlpine Court marital home, the ‘heritable property’ of Humphries’ parents’ house in Larbert, a flat in Grangemouth, and another in Alloa, as well as a “cherished” number plate and “tainted” gifts to her husband John Humphries of £110,000.
The fiscal depute had said these should be available to pay the Proceeds of Crime balance and the Crown was opposed to any further continuation, adding it was clear that “no effort had been made in the last few years to make any form of payment at all.”
At that stage Sheriff Hamilton had concluded there was “no significant coronavirus reason” why funds were not available. Had there been no progress a period of imprisonment would have been imposed.
