A MAN has been jailed for 16 months after he admitted embezzling more than £60,000 from the Glasgow city centre pawnbrokers he was working for. 

Gary Menzies appeared in the dock at Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday to be sentenced for the offences which were committed between April, 12, 2012 and February 6, 2014.

The 27-year-old previously pled guilty at an earlier court appearance to the offences which happened while he worked at H&T Pawnbrokers on Bath Street.

His former colleagues were in the court while he was handed out the sentence by Sheriff Norman Richie.

But they refused to comment following the sentencing.

The court heard that Menzies, of Ardrossan, North Ayrshire, embezzled a total of £60,280.

His defence agent told the court that the Criminal Justice Social Work Report had outlined that his client had been experiencing problems with alcohol and he suffered a family bereavement in 2009.

His defence agent said: “His best explanation for his conduct is that his behaviour seemed to have allowed him a form of escapism.”

He told the court that taking the money allowed his client to portray a lifestyle of happiness and success.

His defence agent continued: “His position is that he is a different person to the person he was two and a half years ago.

“He has moved to Ayrshire to start afresh, to get away from the issues with alcohol.

“He is in a stable relationship and he is presently undertaking an HNC in hospitality.”

He added: “However, he acknowledges he has a debt to pay back to society.”
Despite a request from his defence agent to Sheriff Richie to hand out a Community Payback Order, Menzies was jailed for 16 months.

Sheriff Richie told Menzies: “Your lawyer has asked me to consider a non -custodial sentence. 

“That would have been an easy option for you and for me.

“There has been a considerable breach of trust – a custodial sentence is unavoidable.”

Sheriff Richie gave Menzies a discount because of his early guilty plea and he was jailed for 16 months, reduced from 24.