Monday 20th October, 2014

A former Purchase to pay specialist from British Airports Authority (BAA) stole nearly £70,000 between September 2012 and January last year in order to pay off debts.

Paisley Sheriff Court heard last week that McMahon, aged 26 had worked for the firm as a purchase-to-pay specialist for nearly five years. At the hearing he was charge with a 18 months jail sentence.

While working for BAA he was in charge of managing the accounts for two suppliers Automania and Airport Energy Services.

The fraud took place on September 26, 2012 when he paid more than £68,000 into Airport Energy Services' account. The following day he made a duplicated payment and asked the firm to return the payment, then he transferred it to his cousin's bank account.

In 2012 he transferred £3,390 from Automania's account to a Lloyds bank account, and was filmed on CCTV drawing £4,000 in cash out.

The scheme was uncovered after he left BAA when a colleague struggled to balance the books.

Hazel Emmerson, prosecuting, said: "He had accumulated lots of debts, borrowing money from family and payday loan companies and it got on top of him."

Sheriff James Spy jailed him for 18 months, adding "This is a very sad case."