Latest news with #ColeenMuirhead
Times
17-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Grandmother who stole £1.5m from employer ordered to pay back half
A grandmother who stole £1.5 million from her employers — which she spent on family holidays and new cars — has been ordered to pay back almost £700,000. Coleen Muirhead was jailed for three years and three months in 2023 after she admitted embezzling the money from Panda Rosa Metals in Aberdeen. The 57-year-old, who worked as an administrator at the firm on £33,000 a year, created false accounts to help pocket the money between June 2015 and October 2021. Following her prison sentence, prosecutors attempted to recoup some of the stolen sum under Proceeds of Crimes laws. Muirhead, who was freed from prison earlier this year, told a judge the money was gone having gambled it, spent it on holidays, given large sums to
Press and Journal
16-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen nan loses legal fight to avoid repaying employers after £1.5m swindle
A greedy granny who pocketed £1.5 million from her Aberdeen employers has been ordered to pay them back less than half of her ill-gotten gains. Coleen Muirhead, a £33,000-a-year admin worker at Panda Rosa Metals, admitted to the crime and was jailed for three years and three months in September 2023. Prosecutors launched Proceeds of Crime court action against the 57-year-old, who had bought new cars, two static caravans and high-end auction items. During a confiscation hearing today at the High Court in Glasgow, Lord Matthews ordered Muirhead to repay £668,726 to her former employers. She had challenged the court action and claimed she was now in debt and living on benefits at her estranged husband's home, stating none of her friends and family, whom she had given money to, could pay her back. It was concluded that Muirhead's 'benefit from her criminal conduct' amounted to £1,952,771. She created false accounts to steal the cash between June 2015 and October 2021, splashing out on expensive family holidays. Muirhead was freed from prison earlier this year and told a judge all the money was gone, having gambled it away, bought holidays, given large sums to family and paid off a colleague she accused of blackmailing her. Sineidin Corrins, Depute Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said Muirhead had 'committed an egregious betrayal of trust'. She warned: 'Confiscation orders have ongoing financial consequences, meaning we can seek to recover further assets from this individual in the future to ensure she pays back the full amount.' At a hearing last week, Muirhead's lawyer, Simon Collins, asked Muirhead to detail to whom she had given some of her ill-gotten gains. One was a then colleague, who she claimed was given £6,760 between 2019 and 2020. 'This was a lad that I worked with,' Muirhead explained. 'He knew what I had done and was asking for money to keep quiet.' The mum's four adult sons were also given sizeable amounts of the loot. Muirhead told the court: 'I was giving it away as quickly as it came in. If anyone asked for help, I was giving it to them.' She said she had been struggling to deal with personal matters at the time, leading to issues with drinking and gambling. One son received just over £164,000, another around £140,000, a third £75,000 and the final one £33,000. A daughter-in-law, who helped Muirhead clean two static caravans she owned in Lossiemouth, was handed £64,500. Another, whom Muirhead stated 'used to take me shopping,' received around £21,000. The then partner of one of her other sons was handed more than £60,000 over the years. However, Muirhead admitted: 'I think she played me a bit.' Muirhead told the court she has since spoken to most of the people who were given cash, but none of them are able to pay it back. In cross-examination, prosecutor Bryan Heaney said the money noted as being handed to others totalled around £600,000, leaving £900,000 of the stolen amount. Questioning her about that, Mr Heaney asked Muirhead about her gambling problem. She told him: 'I went into the bingo hall where the [gaming] machines were and sat on them all day.' She claimed to have never won and does not know exactly how much she lost gambling. Muirhead admitted to splashing out for the 'whole family' to go on holidays abroad. She said this included trips to Turkey, Cyprus and Tenerife. Asked how much these cost over the years, Muirhead stated: 'Probably a couple of hundred thousand.' Mr Heaney quizzed Muirhead whether people wondered how she could afford this. 'No one was interested,' she replied, adding: 'Not one person asked.' The advocate depute responded: 'You are telling the court you do not think you can get any of the money back?' Muirhead answered back: 'No one has got anything. They do not have the finances.' In his closing submission to judge Lord Matthews, Mr Heaney said Muirhead seemed to be suggesting £900,000 of the £1.5m went on sunshine breaks, drink and gambling machines. But, he said, there was 'not so much as a holiday snap on the beach' as evidence of trips away. Mr Collins argued that a confiscation order against Muirhead would be 'disproportionate'. He said she did not have the means to repay any money, she had asked the others without success. Muirhead's scheme unravelled after she boasted about her lavish lifestyle to a colleague who paid the company wages and believed she was living outside her means. Separately, company finances were reviewed when a drop in funds sparked concerns. The review uncovered fake invoices from a bogus customer named 'G Anderson' who had been paid by Muirhead. She had deposited the funds into her own bank account. Five company accounts containing her bank details were found. 'G Anderson appeared to be a significant customer, but was not known to senior company officials. The financial details of 'G Anderson' were checked against Muirhead's bank details. Company officials saw the sort codes and account numbers matched and the police were called. Officers searched Muirhead's home on October 9 2021, discovering documents that linked her to lavish spending. On the same day, she sent a WhatsApp message to a colleague in which she stated: 'I have done Panda Rosa out of a lot of money. I was G Anderson. Police have just raided! Please don't think the worst of me.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Embezzling Aberdeen grandmother ordered to repay £668,000
An Aberdeen grandmother who stole more than £1.5m from her employers has been ordered to repay £670, Muirhead, 57, spent the money on holidays, cars, caravans and savings accounts for her was jailed for three years and four months in 2023 after she admitted embezzlement from the metal recycling has been ordered to repay £668,726 the High Court in Glasgow under Proceeds of Crime laws. The first offender channelled funds to a fake client while working as an administrative a senior partner in the firm reviewed company records and noticed that funds were down, and the crime came to light. Depute procurator fiscal Sineidin Corrins, at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "Coleen Muirhead committed an egregious betrayal of trust by taking advantage of her position to embezzle money from her employers."Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. We take such criminality very seriously."This confiscation order underscores the fact that prosecutorial action against those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentence."
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Crooked granny who stole £1.5m from scrap metal firm ordered to pay back £670k
Coleen Muirhead was jailed for three years and four months in September 2023 after she admitted a charge of embezzlement. A crooked granny who stole more than £1.5 million from her employers has been ordered to repay almost £670,000 under Proceeds of Crime Laws. Coleen Muirhead was jailed for three years and four months in September 2023 after she admitted a charge of embezzlement. The 57-year-old used the money stolen from Panda Rosa Metals to fund a lavish lifestyle that included pricey family holidays, two new cars, two static caravans and high end auction items. Muirhead, from Aberdeen, also splashed out for full tables at charity events as well as buying alcohol for all those who attended. Today at the High Court in Glasgow a confiscation order was made in the sum of £668,726.71 and recorded the benefit from her criminal conduct was £1,952,771.31. The court also made a compensation order in favour of Panda Rosa Metals, ordering the entire sum of £668,726.71 recoverable as part of the confiscation proceedings is paid to her former employers The confiscation order can be revisited if further assets are identified in the future to be paid towards the full amount that was determined as the benefit of the crime. Sineidin Corrins, Depute Procurator Fiscal for Specialist Casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: 'Coleen Muirhead committed an egregious betrayal of trust by taking advantage of her position to embezzle money from her employers. 'Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. We take such criminality very seriously. 'This confiscation order underscores the fact that prosecutorial action against those involved in financial crime does not stop at criminal conviction and sentence. 'Even after that conviction was secured, the Crown pursued Proceeds of Crime action to ensure funds she 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 ensure she pays back the full amount.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Muirhead's illicit scheme was uncovered when she boasted of her style of living to a work colleague who was responsible for paying out company wages. The colleague became suspicious Muirhead, who had worked for the family company since 2014, was living beyond her means. Meanwhile, a separate review of company finances was carried out amid concerns over a drop in funds. During that review, it was discovered Muirhead had been paying invoices to a bogus customer known as G. Anderson and depositing the money into her own bank account. The review also uncovered five company accounts which contained her bank details. Prosecutors told the court how Muirhead was responsible for dealing with invoices for allotted clients. The review of company books, historical files revealed 'G Anderson' as a significant customer, but senior company officials were unaware of his existence. They then checked the financial details of 'G Anderson' against the accused's bank details and found the sort code and account numbers matched and subsequently informed the police. Officers carried out a search of Muirhead's home on October 9, 2021, and found documents that linked her to lavish spending. On the same day, she sent a WhatsApp message to a colleague in which she said: 'I have done Panda Rosa out of a lot of money. I was G Anderson. Police have just raided! Please don't think the worst of me.'
Press and Journal
09-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Holidays, gifts, gambling and blackmail - how crooked Aberdeen granny spent £1.5 million
A crooked Aberdeen grandmother who stole £1.5m from her employers has told a court she used some of the cash to pay off a colleague who was blackmailing her. Coleen Muirhead – who earned £33,000-a-year at Panda Rosa Metals – also said she gave away more than £400,000 to her four sons and spent another £200,000 taking her whole family on foreign holidays. She insists none of her family questioned where the vast sums came from and none are able to pay it back. The 57-year-old was jailed for three years and three months in 2023 after she admitted embezzling the money from Panda Rosa Metals in Aberdeen. She had created false accounts to help pocket the cash between June 2015 and October 2021. She was freed from her prison sentence earlier this year and the Crown are now seeking to recover almost £700,000 of the stolen sum. Muirhead – who is challenging the action – gave evidence at the proceeds of crime hearing at the High Court in Glasgow today. Muirhead told her lawyer Simon Collins that she is in debt, living on benefits and back staying with her estranged husband, purely because it is more cost-effective. The discovery of unsafe RAAC concrete at her former council house in Aberdeen also cut the value of the property to below £30,000. Mr Collins went on to take Muirhead through the various people she is said to have given some of the cash to. One was a then colleague, who was given £6,760 between 2019 and 2020. Explaining this for the first time in court, Muirhead told the hearing: 'This was a lad that I worked with. He knew what I had done and was asking for money to keep quiet.' The mum's four adult sons were also given sizeable amounts of the loot, she said. Muirhead stated at one stage: 'I was giving it away as quickly as it came in. If anyone asked for help, I was giving it to them.' She said she had been struggling to deal with personal matters at the time, leading to issues with drink and gambling. One son got just over £164,000, another around £140,000, a third £75,000 and the final boy £33,000. A daughter-in-law – who helped Muirhead clean two static caravans she owned in Lossiemouth – got £64,500. Another – who Muirhead stated 'used to take me shopping' – received around £21,000. The then partner of one of her other sons was handed more than £60,000 over the years. But, Muirhead admitted: 'I think she played me a bit.' Muirhead told the court she has since spoken to most of the people she gave cash to, but that none of them are able to pay it back. In cross-examination, prosecutor Bryan Heaney said the money noted as being handed to others totalled around £600,000, leaving £900,000 of the stolen amount. Questioning her about that, Mr Heaney asked Muirhead about her gambling problem. She told him: 'I went into the bingo hall where the (gaming) machines were and sat on them all day.' She claimed to have never won and does not know how much exactly she lost gambling. Muirhead admitted to splashing out for the 'whole family' to go on holidays abroad. She said this included trips to Turkey, Cyprus and Tenerife. Asked how much these cost over the years, Muirhead stated: 'Probably a couple of hundred thousand.' Mr Heaney quizzed Muirhead whether people wondered how she could afford this. She told him: 'No one was interested. Not one person asked.' The advocate depute further put to her: 'You are telling the court you do not think you can get any of the money back?' Muirhead: 'No one has got anything. They do not have the finances.' In his closing submission to judge Lord Matthews, Mr Heaney said Muirhead seemed to be suggesting £900,000 of the £1.5m went on sunshine breaks, drink and gambling machines. But, he said there was 'not so much as a holiday snap on the beach' as evidence of trips away. Mr Collins went on to argue that a confiscation order against Muirhead would be 'disproportionate'. He said she did not have the means to pay money back and that she had asked the others without success. Lord Matthews will make his decision at a later date.
