Greenock mum jailed for 18 months for £140,000 fraud

A mum who cooked the books at Thomas Cook and embezzled £140,000 to fund a jet-set lifestyle was jailed for the offence today.

The mother-of-two discovered a loophole which allowed her to take as much money as she wanted - while altering the accounts to show nothing was missing.

She spent the cash on trips to Florida, New York, Las Vegas, Euro Disney, Spain and Lapland, and tried to offer colleagues probing her a handbag full of notes when she was rumbled.

But Moran's whole scheme crash-landed after colleagues contacted the police, leading to her being arrested at Glasgow Airport after touching down following a trip to New York and Las Vegas.

The 34-year-old offered to enter in to a repayment plan which would see her repaying the money over the next 70 years - at £40-per-week.

That offer would see her paying back £2,080-per-year, meaning it would take her 67.3 years to clear the £140,000 balance.

She would have to pay the debt back in eight decades, with the final payment being made when she is 101 - providing she lives that long and does not miss any payments.

Moran was a Foreign Exchange Sales Consultant at the Braehead Shopping Centre branch of Thomas Cook between February 2 and August 25, 2015.

During that time she processed 140 currency transactions for free, overriding the computer systems so the tills balanced.

She used the cash to go on five holidays, pay off her own debt and that of her partner and his mum.

Moran, of Greenock, pleaded guilty to embezzling £140,000 after the sum was reduced from £241,248 during a Paisley Sheriff Court hearing in October.

Defence solicitor Terry Gallanagh, a partner in law firm McCusker, McElroy and Gallanagh, said Moran, a single mum to her 16-year-old and eight-year-old children and full-time carer for her gran, had capitalised on a better exchange rate she received as a perk for being a Thomas Cook employee.

He explained: "This got very much out of control.

"She started with close family and friends and the matter escalated to pretty much half of Greenock coming to Miss Moran and getting their holiday money.

"The money was paid to her but she did not immediately return it and kept it.

"They say, 'Don't just book it, Thomas Cook it' - she booked it and cooked the books.

"She regrets her conduct and she is under no illusion about what is befalling her."

Sentence was deferred for background reports and Moran returned to the dock today/yesterday (MON) to learn her fate.

Mr Gallanagh asked for Moran to be spared prison, saying she was "deeply sorry and her life is in ruins" and that such a punishment would harm her children.

But, after hearing that Thomas Cook were waiting until Moran had been sentenced to decide what to do about getting the money back, Sheriff David Pender jailed her.

As he caged her for 18 months, rediced from 24 montha because she admitted her guilt, he said: "I can only deal with this by the imposition of a custodial sentence."

Moran showed no emotion as she was taken to the cells to begin her jail term.