Receptionist at St Boswells vet's admits stealing £100,000 from bosses to fund gambling addiction

Gayle Middlemas, 30, embezzled that six-figure sum from the Greenside Veterinary Practice in St Boswells between January 2016 and February 2019.

Selkirk Sheriff Court heard that she resigned from her post after questions were raised about financial irregularities but was still able to keep stealing money from the practice as she had retained access to its computer system.

Middlemas potentially faces jail, but her lawyer, Ed Hulme, is urging that she be spared a prison sentence.

He also said she now has a new job and her current employer is standing by her.

Before passing sentence, sheriff Donald Corke requested further information to establish if Middlemas’s new employer knew the full case against her and to find out whether she has any assets so she can start paying back the money she stole.

Sentence has been deferred on Midddlemas, of Eildon, near Melrose, until Monday, October 5.

The court heard that Greenside Veterinary Practice, established over 100 years ago, employs 15 vets and Middlemas had worked there for over 10 years, starting as an animal care assistant before taking over responsibility for all payments processed after a new computer system was installed.

She was also responsible for taking money paid to the practice and depositing it in a bank.

Depute fiscal Fiona Hamilton said there had been no regular checks of her work but at the end of 2015 and start of 2016, a financial discrepancy was raised by a manager.

She continued: “It was explained by the accused and no further action taken.

“The practice was then sold and errors noticed.”

Ms Hamilton said suspicions were only raised after several card payments were queried and no explanation was forthcoming from Middlemas.

She was then confronted by senior management at the practice and she said she would rectify the mistakes but she was unable to provide the missing receipts.

The fiscal said that, at that time, her bosses were still under the impression she was doing her job incorrectly rather than dishonestly, but Middlemas purported to be upset at the claims made against her and put in a letter of resignation.

In February 2019, a customer produced a cash receipt despite the payment involved having been put through the system as a card receipt.

Ms Hamilton said: “The staff became of the view the cash had been taken by the accused.

“A full investigation was launched, and several other payments had been changed from cash to card payments and multiple discrepancies identified as payments taken.”

Ms Hamilton said further suspect transactions made after the accused had left the practice were identified and they were traced to someone stating her name to be Gayle.

A warrant was obtained to search her property and bank accounts and several large deposits were discovered amounting to £100,000 over three years.

When interviewed by police, Middlemas initially denied any form of embezzlement, but the fiscal added: “She went on to admit taking some money but said she was unsure how much and it had become an addiction. She knew it was wrong.”

Mr Hulme, defending, said his client had been employed at the practice since leaving school at the age of 16.

Since her offending was uncovered, she had found new employment, he said, explaining: “The employer is aware of this offence and is supportive.

“She also has a second job in a local public house working shifts.”

Detailing the background to the offence, Mr Hulme said: “She was gambling. She suffered an addiction to gambling.

“She was trusted in her role and there was no oversight of her work, and somehow this went undetected for a period of three years.

“The firm’s book-keeper queried the discrepancies between the accounts and books and management wrote it off.

“If there had been any inquiry by the employers, this would have been caught much earlier.”

Mr Hulme claimed the firm, said to have an annual turnover of millions of pounds, appeared not to have taken the matter “all that seriously”.

He added: “None of this detracts from her misconduct, which she accepts.

“She has not paid any money back. It was all spent on her gambling.

“For that, she is extremely ashamed and apologetic.”

Mr Hulme suggested as an alternative to a custodial sentence a community payback order involving supervision, unpaid work and a restriction-of-liberty order, as well as compensation to be paid at £100 a month, though he accepted that could never cover the sum taken.

Mr Corke said: “I am aware of the desirability of reaching a decision as soon as possible but I don’t want to rush any judgement.”

He said vouching should be provided to establish if her new employer knows fully what the case against her is.

The sheriff also asked if Middlemas had any other assets she could give him to start paying back the money embezzled.

He added that he was satisfied the offence met the custody threshold but deferred sentence for the further information he requested to be provided to the court.