An Aberdeen grandmother enjoyed lavish holidays and bought cars and caravans after stealing more than £1.5m from her employers.

Coleen Muirhead, 55, enjoyed lavish holidays and bought cars and caravans with the embezzled cash from a metal recycling company.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the mother-of-four also paid for her son’s wedding and set up saving accounts for her grandchildren.

Muirhead earlier admitted embezzling £1,524, 192.37 between June 2015 and October 2021 while working as an administrative assistant at Panda Rosa Metals in Aberdeen. She was jailed for 40 months.

She was sentenced by Lord Fairley on Thursday.

Prosecutor David Dickson told the court that a colleague responsible for paying Muirhead’s wages had noticed her expensive family holidays and how she had paid for a full table at a charity event.

Her embezzlement via a fake client eventually came to light after a senior partner reviewed the firm’s records.

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Following the discovery, Muirhead messaged a colleague: “Police have just raided. So, I will need a visitor in jail. Please don’t think the worst of me.”

When the colleague expressed confusion, Muirhead admitted the theft and apologised.

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Defence solicitor advocate Kris Gilmartin said background reports prepared had set out how Muirhead had experienced “significant childhood trauma”.

He said: “On the face of it, it is difficult to fathom why the offence was committed. She was previously a law-abiding citizen.”

Mr Gilmartin stated that Muirhead used alcohol and gambling as a coping mechanism. The death of her father then led to increased drinking and offending.

He added: “The report makes clear she is remorseful and she regrets the offending.

“She acknowledges she has brought shame to her family.”

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Mr Gilmartin said she sought to apologise to the McAllister family, who own and operate Panda Rosa Metals.

Lord Fairley said: “I have listened carefully to what has been said on your behalf by Mr Gilmartin today and have noted the matters which he highlighted from the report. I also take into account the state of your health, the fact that you have no previous convictions, and that you have shown remorse.

“Having regard to the scale of your embezzlement and the massive breach of trust that it represented, however, you will appreciate that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

The Crown has brought an action to seize crime proceeds from Muirhead, with the first hearing due to take place in January.

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