Woman jailed for fraud ordered to repay thousands
Stephanni Houston was sentenced to 38 months in prison in November 2023 for embezzling more than £516k from two construction companies - one in East Kilbride and the other in Kilmarnock.
The 41-year-old from Ayr is said to have done this over four years.
On May 28, 2025, Houston, also known as Bryden, was made subject of a confiscation order at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.
She has been ordered to pay back £81,589.86.
It was also recorded that the benefit of the criminal conduct was £516,268.98.
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The Crown noted that the confiscation order can be revisited if further assets are identified in the future.
This will be paid towards the full amount that was determined as the benefit of the crime.
Houston was convicted at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court after admitting to embezzling £253,281.30 while working as an office administrator at Kelburn Construction in Kilmarnock between February 2017 and January 2019.
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Just months later, she began embezzling £262,987.68 while employed as a bookkeeper for WM Donnelly and Co Ltd in East Kilbride, taking the cash between May 2019 and March 2021.
A compensation order of £41,610.83 was awarded to WM Donnelly Ltd.
Meanwhile, a second compensation order of £39,979.03 was awarded to Kelburn Construction.
Sineidin Corrins, Deputy Procurator Fiscal for Serious Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: 'This confiscation underscores the fact that prosecution of those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentencing.
'Even after that conviction was secured, the Crown pursued Proceeds of Crime action to ensure the funds Stephanni Houston obtained illegally were confiscated.
'Confiscation orders have ongoing financial consequences, meaning we can seek to recover further assets from this individual in the future to reflect the full amount."
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