Tranent man swindled wife and employers
Published 19 Jan 2012 09:21
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A CROOK who stole more than £40,000 from his wife and two employers was caught after suffering a nervous breakdown, a court heard.
Christopher Pearson, formerly of Tranent and now a prisoner of Saughton, pocketed £7,439.54 after selling shares which belonged to his former wife Clarinda, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard on Tuesday.
The book keeper, who once owned a greeting cards company, also embezzled £33,218.46 from two pubs in Selkirk and Kelso. He had been entrusted to look after their finances.
Pearson was brought to justice after tax inspectors decided to monitor his practices, but before they could start, Pearson panicked and fled to Newcastle.
Lothian and Borders Police launched a missing persons inquiry and found him only after he came forward to confess. He was suffering from depression and was contemplating suicide.
Pearson pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud and two of embezzlement before Sheriff Paul Arthurson. He committed the offences between September 2007 and November 2009.
Jailing Pearson for two years, Sheriff Arthurson noted the crook had previous convictions for fraud. The judge said: "You have a bad record for crimes of dishonesty. I have no other choice but to send you to prison."
Depute fiscal Dev Kapadia said Pearson had been placed in charge of his family finances by Clarinda in September 2007. But in November 2009, Pearson decided to sell shares in BAE Systems Clarinda owned. He forged her signature and pocketed money from the sale.
Mr Kapadia added: "Police made inquiries and found documentation with a signature purporting to be from Mrs Pearson. A cheque that had been made out to Mrs Pearson was also discovered."
Pearson then admitted to stealing £20,327.62 from the Cross Keys Inn in Selkirk. He had been employed there between March 26, 2008 and September 15, 2009 as a freelance book keeper.
Police also discovered that that he embezzled £12,890.84 from the Waggon Inn in Kelso. He had also worked there as a book keeper. Mr Kapadia said detectives established the cash had been VAT meant for the tax man.
Defence solicitor Robert More told the court his client stole the cash to pay off a personal debt of £30,000. He suffered a nervous breakdown in November 2009 after discovering the tax man wanted to inspect his books.
Mr More said Pearson knew he was about to be caught and fell into a severe depression. He said the conman's wife now wanted a divorce and his two sons were refusing to speak to him.
Mr More told Sheriff Arthurson: "He became aware his offences were about to be discovered so he simply got on the first train that took him to the north of England.
"He had something of a breakdown. He describes feeling suicidal. In the north of England he decided to join a church which gave him some consolation.
"He came forward, contacted the police and fully co-operated. He provided them with a full and frank confession.
"He accepts prison is inevitable. He has instructed me not to seek any other alternative. He has previous convictions - these stem from a time when he was travelling around the north of England and staying in hotels and refusing to pay for services.
"His wife now wants a divorce. He has lost everything. I would ask your lordship to be as lenient as possible."
Sheriff Arthurson said that if he hadn't pleaded guilty, Pearson would have received three years.
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