PA stole £190,000 from lawyer
22 Aug 06
Trusted assistant jailed for a year for theft from Ross Harper
The personal assistant of a top Scottish lawyer has been jailed for 12 months after stealing £190,000 from his bank account.
Professor Ross Harper and his family asked yesterday that Janis Dickson, 49, be spared jail, but Sheriff Fiona Reith QC jailed Dickson for what she described as "prolonged and systematic criminal conduct".
Professor Harper had become aware of large sums of money going missing from his bank account in May 2003. He had contacted the bank and was given three cheques, which had each been made payable to Dickson.
When confronted, she had admitted taking the money straightaway and was suspended from her job.
Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Dickson, who had worked for Professor Harper for 18 years, had full access to his personal and business bank accounts and had helped herself to £134,872 by regularly writing cheques to herself and forging his signature. She stole another £55,127 through electronic transfer.
Defending Dickson, solicitor Geoffrey Forbes said she had started stealing as she was afraid her 27-year-old boyfriend whom she later married would find out she had no money.
Dickson has since written to Professor Harper to tell him that she was aware of the distress caused to him and his family by her actions and admitting the shame and embarrassment she had brought on herself.