Woman who embezzled more than £248,000 from Glasgow car dealership jailed for 16 months
Andrea Gibson stole the money over a three year period
An accounts assistant who embezzled more than £248,000 from a Glasgow car dealership has been jailed for 16 months.
Andrea Gibson, 31, claimed she stole the cash to help with her brother’s gambling debts.
Gibson took over a three-year period while employed as an accounts assistant for Evans Halshaw.
The mother-of-one “manipulated financial systems” to cover 45 transactions made to her personal bank accounts.
Gibson later told investigators she blamed her “brother’s gambling debt” for her behaviour.
Gibson pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to embezzling a total of £248,652.85 between March 2015 and March 2018.
She was jailed by Sheriff Martin Jones QC.
Gibson was only caught when she went on maternity leave and irregularities came to light.
The court heard Gibson had worked for Evans Halshaw for seven years before her promotion to Accounts Assistant in 2014.
Prosecutor Debbie Carroll said: “She forged and falsified documents and manipulated the accounts of the company in an attempt to cover her activities and avoid detection.”
Gibson created four credit notes that appeared to show outstanding payments from the Ford UK car company.
But, the money was going directly into the same bank account her wages were paid into by Evans Halshaw.
Gibson was snared by the financial controller when she went on maternity leave in January last year.
Miss Carroll added: “The controller became aware of anomalies and financial irregularities."
Gibson initially denied stealing money from the company, but after Ford UK carried out their own investigation she confessed
Miss Carroll added: “Gibson stated her brother had a gambling debt and didn’t know what to do, she said that she would return the money.
“Gibson stated she only transferred money into one account and she couldn’t confirm the exact amount.
“She then handed over a hand-written resignation letter.”
Gibson, from Dalmarnock, later admitted that another bank account was also used to transfer money.
Hear the latest news on Clyde 1 on FM, DAB, smart speaker or the Rayo app.