Sentencing will take place next month

A charity director embezzled more than £54,000 from a prominent organisation, a court has heard.

Catherine Bell pled guilty to stealing the cash from Jewish Care Scotland between October 1, 2013 and October 25, 2018.

The charity based in Gifnock, Glasgow, operated a hardship fund which Bell had authority over.

The 70-year-old set up weekly and one-off payments for four families – who she referred to as “the usual four” – and they received grants of between £35 and £70 per week.

But the families were never given the cash and, instead, Bell stole it.

Bell was caught in 2018 when the then chief executive officer, Julie Marshall, began a “compliance check” to ensure staff had the relevant qualifications for their roles.

tark added: “Over the coming days, it was identified by the witness Marshall that the accused was not registered on the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) for social workers.

“On October 25, 2018, the accused left the charity, awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation. On October 29, 2018, [the witness] notified Marshall of the accused’s ‘usual four’. Marshall had no knowledge of these payments.

“Information was then obtained from the Richmond Fellowship and the alleged recipients and it was confirmed that no money had been delivered or obtained by them. These findings led to Marshall contacting chartered accountants to request an audit of the accounts.

“During December 2018, the accountant carried out an audit of the hardship fund. This audit found the accused had misappropriated £54,435 from the hardship fund.”

Sheriff Andrew Berry adjourned sentencing for the preparation of a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty order assessment.

Bell, of Adelaide Street, Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute, had bail continued and will return to court for sentencing next month.