A CROOKED county finance director embezzled thousands of pounds from a dental practice.

Stuart Anderson took £35,000 from the accounts of Dental Express and splashed out a large chunk of that went on his wedding to wife Melanie.

Anderson joined the dental firm in 2009 and took over financial control of the practice the following year after company founder Dr Anne Saxby became unwell. The 35-year-old finance expert then proceeded to fleece the Edinburgh firm over a 30-month period until his scam was uncovered following a bank audit.

Now the disgraced financial director is facing a jail sentence after he admitted embezzling £35,000 from Dental Express between January 1, 2010, and July 30, 2012, during a hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

The court heard that Anderson, of Perths Grove, Prestonpans, used about £13,000 of the stolen funds to finance his nuptials.

It is believed that Anderson married wife Melanie at the 15th-century Dalhousie Castle, near Bonnyrigg, in July 2012.

It is thought that the newly-weds then jetted off to a sunshine resort  for a honeymoon.

Prosecutor Anthony Steele told the court that Anderson was caught out after the company experienced financial problems in 2012 and a Royal Bank of Scotland audit was carried out.

The bank audit showed thousands of pounds had gone missing from the firm’s accounts and police were called in.

Father-of-one Anderson, who had continually denied any involvement, was subsequently sacked from his position as company director in August 2012.

Anderson was originally charged with embezzling £152,231 from Dental Express, in Portobello, but his guilty plea to the reduced amount was accepted by the Crown at last week’s trial diet. Neil Allan, defending, reserved his mitigation after Sheriff Frank Crowe deferred sentence to January.

Anderson is an ex-Dunfermline Athletic youth footballer.