Ex-charity boss gets community payback order for embezzlement

The manager of a charity who helped bring about its collapse by siphoning off £20,000 has been placed on a Community Payback Order and will have to carry out 225 hours of unpaid work.

Edward McGregor was placed on a Community Payback Order at Edinburgh Sheriff Court

Edward McGregor, 48, had promised Sheriff Kenneth Maciver QC that he would pay back all the money within six months. The Sheriff told him that if that happened, he would not impose a custodial sentence.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Sheriff Maciver was told by McGregor’s solicitor that the £20,000 had been repaid.

McGregor, now living in Eyemouth, had pleaded guilty to embezzling cash from Skillnet between July 2006 and August 2012.

Skillnet, based in Albion Road, Edinburgh, received funding from the Scottish Government. However, the funding ceased. McGregor told the Company Board that tax money had been due to HMRC in July 2012. When Board members looked at the accounts they discovered that the money due was still outstanding and had increased. Investigation showed that numerous payments had been made into a bank account held by McGregor.