Grandmother who embezzled £1.5 million from her bosses and splashed the cash on luxury holidays and new cars faces jail

A grandmother who stole more than £1.5million from her employer’s business splashed out on expensive holidays, new cars and caravans and set up savings accounts for her family. 

Coleen Muirhead created a fake client and put them through for payments at the scrap metal firm where she worked in order to pocket the cash herself. 

When police unravelled her lies, the 55-year-old sent a message to a colleague saying officers had raided her home and she would be needing a ‘visitor in jail’. 

Muirhead, who now faces prison, appeared at the High Court in Edinburgh yesterday. 

She admitted embezzling £1,524,192 while employed at Panda Rosa Metals, of Canal Road, Aberdeen, between June 2015 and October 2021. 

Coleen Muirhead created a fake client and put them through for payments at the scrap metal firm where she worked in order to pocket the cash herself

Advocate depute David Dickson told the court that Muirhead began work with the firm as an administrative assistant in 2014.  

Mr Dickinson said: ‘During the years following, another employee became aware Muirhead went on expensive holidays, paid for a full table at a charity event, purchased alcohol for those attending and bought new motor vehicles.’ 

Mr Dickson said a senior partner reviewed company records and noticed funds were down, and then began looking for information on a ‘G Anderson’, who she noted was a significant customer. 

It became apparent that G Anderson was not a customer and staff could only find advice notes with a reference identifying Muirhead as producing the documentation. 

A member of the firm phoned Muirhead for information on G Anderson. She told him where it was and asked if she was in trouble. 

Mr Dickson said on October 6, 2021, Muirhead asked a colleague to resign on her behalf.

Judge Lord Fairley called for a background report ahead of sentencing.