Natalie Taylor scammed £88,226 from Motherwell-based McCann Electrical Limited, and while wanted by police, secured another bookkeeping job where she pocketed a further £37,668.

In December, Taylor admitted at Glasgow Sheriff Court to two charges of embezzling from the companies between July 2017 and August 2018 while working as a bookkeeper.

The court heard began working for McCann Electrical in June 2017 on a salary of £24,000.

Another accountant looking at the company accounts noticed multiple payments had been made to four accounts which were found to be Taylor’s.

Procurator fiscal depute Deborah Carroll said the total expense to the company was in the region of £120,000 as unpaid bills including tax and national insurance had to be paid above the cost of the embezzlement.

The court heard that impact on the company included five redundancies because “the company could not afford to keep their employment”.

The matter was reported to the procurator fiscal and a warrant was obtained.

In June 2018, Taylor then got a second job as an accountant at Hannah’s, a sheriff officer company where she handled day-today finances.

Anomalies in the company finances were spotted after a partner of the firm was unable to leave an NCP car park because a bill hadn’t been paid.

It is understood that Taylor used her son’s bank account, among others, to disguise money leaving the company account.

Yesterday, Sheriff Neil Mackinnon jailed Taylor for 32 months.