16 August 2012 Last updated at 07:43 ET

Legal office embezzler ordered to do unpaid community work

An employee at an Edinburgh legal firm has been ordered to perform 166 hours of unpaid work in the community for embezzlement.

Karen Ward, 33, from Edinburgh, had pleaded guilty previously to embezzling £5,505 from Maclay Murray & Spens between 10 March 2010 and 19 July 2011.

Defence solicitor, Cheryl Beattie, said Ward faced debt and to her there seemed no way out.

However, her client was extremely embarrassed and had repaid the money.

Sheriff Mackinnon said it was "a significant breach of trust", but due to the early guilty plea and because all the money had been repaid he was able to deal with it by way of a community payback order.

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