Manager embezzled nearly £40k from Women's Aid for holiday trips

The manager of a Women's Aid in Dunoon embezzled nearly £40k from the charity over five years and used the money to fund holiday trips abroad.

Jay Reid, 67, also spent the money on expensive jewellery, designer perfume and a Weightwatcher's membership.

Her crimes were revealed when other members of staff at Women's Aid discovered that payments had not been made to their pensions, which led to a full audit being carried out.

Reid was sentenced to 20 months in jail at Greenock Sheriff Court, after a jury found her guilty of embezzlement.

The court heard how Reid stole the money between December 2016 and January 2021.

She worked as a manager of the children's service and had control of the branch's bank account.

A financial investigator later established Reid used a Women's Aid credit card to finance illegitimate purchases totalling £39,726.63 and highlighted the frequency of transactions.

Spending included holidays to Tenerife and Amsterdam, furniture from IKEA, a Weightwatcher's membership, vet bills and Amazon purchases.

None of the outlay was spent on service users who rely on Women's Aid for support.

Anne Marie Hicks, the procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde, said Reid had carried out an "egregious betrayal of trust" with her crimes.

She added: "Reid showed no regard for the impact her crimes would have on vulnerable women and children who relied on support from Women's Aid or the effect it would have on those trying to run such an important charity.

"The public will rightly be appalled. Embezzlement is not a victimless crime. As prosecutors, we are fully committed to tackling financial crime of this kind."

Police Scotland Sgt Kamila Jelonkiewicz said: "Reid abused the trust placed in her and acted dishonestly to gain substantial sums of money from a charity."