Loan firm agent spared jail after £30K fraud

Published 24 Feb 2010 11:09

A WOMAN who embezzled nearly £30,000 escaped jail and was sentenced to 200 hours community service at Alloa Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Morag Letford (52) previously admitted embezzling the money whilst she was an employee of Provident Personal Credit in Stirling between 27 October 2007 and 9 August 2008.

Letford, who worked as a part-time agent for the company, altered agreements and forged signatures on loan papers before she was eventually caught and arrested by police.

Her defence solicitor Alastair Ross told the court that the deception had started off on a relatively small scale but had got out of control and it was almost a relief for Letford when she was finally caught and that she has fully co-operated with police.

Mr Ross went on to say that the burden of care for Letford's 80-year-old mother very much fell on the accused and that her partner would be unable to look after Letford's mother is she was sent to jail.

He also said that his client had managed to save £500 which would be immediately available as a first step to compensation, although she realised that it wasn't a great deal of money in relation to the offending, and if need be she was willing to sell the family home in order to pay the money back.

Mr Ross added, "My client has to some extent shut herself off from her family because she has recognised the wrong that she has done. Although she does have the support of her family whilst they are annoyed with what she has done.

Sentencing Letford Sheriff David Mackie said, "You are not going to jail - I will put you out of your misery straight away. It was a breach of trust which started in a small way but inevitably grew. You started a course of dishonesty which you had to keep heading on and it grew bigger and bigger.

"I recognise the important role you play in your mothers life and she would be the ultimate victim and no one wants that if you go to jail."

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