College cashier who stole to pay gambling debts jailed for a year

Apr 23 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

A BELL COLLEGE worker who stole more than £40,000 from the institution to pay off gambling debts was this week jailed for a year.

David Mawson had embezzled the sum of £43,746.40 between March 1 and 15, 2007, while employed as a cashier.

The theft continued after the college merged with Paisley University later that year to become part of the University of the West of Scotland. It was discovered after auditors went through the new institution’s accounts and found a large shortfall in cash.

Mawson was responsible for collecting cash from a number of departments and handing it to Securicor for banking. He told a member of staff when questioned about discrepancies in accounts that he had a gambling addiction and had taken a large sum of money from the college.

At Hamilton Sheriff Court last month, 52-year-old Mawson, of Kirkintilloch, admitted embezzling the cash.

When Mawson appeared for sentence on Tuesday, his solicitor told Sheriff Danny Scullion that his client had previously been of good character and had reached the age of 50 without offending. She pointed out that a psychological report prepared for the court showed that he was suffering from depressive symptoms.

She explained that court proceedings had had a “dire” effect on Mawson who, she added, had suicidal feelings. Another report pointed out that the risk of Mawson re-offending was low.

It was also stressed that he had been looking for work in a number of areas during the court process, but “was very realistic about the prospects of being offered employment.”

Mawson, she said, was expecting a custodial sentence, but she asked Sheriff Scullion to consider a sentence involving non-custodial options like community service “to make amends” for the crime.

Sheriff Scullion, however, described the offence as “a gross breach of trust” which had taken place over several months and said the only appropriate disposal was one involving a custodial sentence.