A West Lothian worker gambled away thousands of pounds he stole from his employers, a court heard.
Scott McAllister issued false invoices to con company customers into paying cash directly into his own bank account.
He then used the stolen money – more than £72,000 in total – to place reckless bets, losing a king’s ransom in the process.
READ MORE - Edinburgh will be as hot as Tenerife with nine day heatwave and 21C sun blast
McAllister, 31, claimed on Monday that he had no assets such as cars or property to show for the stolen cash.
He also confirmed that none of the money had been repaid.
He pleaded guilty at Livingston Sheriff Court on Monday to stealing the money while working for catering supplies company Instock at Brucefield Industrial Estate, Livingston, West Lothian, between 1 February and 20 December 2021.
He was originally charged with stealing £108,042.11 or thereby but the Crown accepted a guilty plea to the lesser amount of £72,039.64.
He admitted issuing false invoices containing his personal bank account details rather than those of his employers.
The money should have been paid to Instock in exchange for goods and services provided by the firm to employees of Twenty Twenty Bar and Apartment 1 in Newcastle and the now-defunct Rib N Reef steak and seafood restaurant in Durham.
He induced employees at the three firms to pay him instead of InStock and appropriated the money due to his employer “for his own uses and purposes”.
McAllister, of Whitmere Gardens, Gateshead, drove 150 miles back to Scotland with his pregnant wife Sarah to appear personally in court on Monday.
His lawyer Glenn Fraser said his client fully accepted responsibility for the offence but he was not aware if any attempt was being made to recover the stolen money under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
He said: “There was no financial gain for him. There’s no cars or houses or anything like that."
Morgan Beattie, prosecuting, moved for sentence and revealed that McAllister had no previous criminal convictions.
Sheriff Peter Hammond commented: “Clearly reports are required.” He ordered a criminal justice social work report and an assessment of McAllister’s suitability for a restriction of liberty order and adjourned the case until 30 June.
He allowed McAllister to remain on bail until sentencing.
Curiously, the accused's wife posted a picture on Facebook in March 2021 to mark their acquisition of a brand-new Volkswagen SUV.
Instock Group is a multi-million business specialising in the distribution of cleaning and catering equipment across the UK.
It sells paper hygiene, cleaning chemicals, janitorial supplies, catering equipment and bar sundries to the hospitality industry.
READ NEXT:
Edinburgh local gobsmacked after discovering 'ghost street' hidden under tarmac
Huge five-storey Edinburgh 'mega hostel' hits the market with whopping price tag
This Morning viewers baffled at 'awkward' tribute to Phillip Schofield
Edinburgh patient in critical condition after horror three-car crash on major road
We took Edinburgh's longest Lothian bus route and ended up in the middle of a golf course
