A WOMAN who stole money from her funeral home employer said she did it to pay off a drug debt.

The cash was found to be missing from the accounts of three grieving families and Jenna Corr, of Dalmuir, said she has not saved anything as yet to repay Co-op Funeral Services, where she worked until the discovery.

The 30-year-old crook previously pleaded guilty to embezzling £1,822 from the business’s Sylvania Way South base and another branch in Maryhill Road in Glasgow between June 16, 2014 and May 15, 2015.

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court last week, depute fiscal Scott Simpson said the crime came to light when a customer was asked to attend the funeral home. She thought her account was up to date but it became clear there was an “anomaly”.

Mr Simpson said: “Two things became clear: that the transactions had been handled by the accused, and there was a mismatch, a shortfall of around £400.

“That prompted further investigation and a similar pattern was discovered.”

Corr was summoned by her bosses but she tried to deflect explanations on the three accounts.

A disciplinary hearing was called but Corr didn’t attend and she was dismissed. Police were then informed.

Defence solicitor Judith Reid said her client had no previous convictions and the embezzlement “appears to be entirely out of character”.

She summarised a report by social workers indicating Corr had “significant difficulties”.

Ms Reid said: “She has become involved in a situation with another person with drug debts and that left her feeling isolated from her family.

“She did what she could do to deal with that debt.

“She remains very frightened of that situation and of the individual who she was in a relationship with. She is extremely anxious he doesn’t know where she is.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry noted that when he was younger, embezzlement would lead to an automatic custodial sentence.

Ms Reid said her client was “extremely upset and extremely remorseful” for her actions.

“She became physically upset during our meetings,” said Ms Reid. “She is not someone who is misguided in terms of custody.”

Corr was said to be “anxious” to repay the money she took, but Sheriff Hendry was unimpressed she had made no efforts to save up for that in the time since she pleaded guilty.

He told Corr: “You have gone from being thoroughly law abiding to a very serious conviction indeed.

“I accept prison is not the only possible outcome and my view will be informed by how hard you save.

“I’m puzzled why there has been no effort so far to save whatsoever.”

Sheriff Hendry deferred sentence for Corr to be of good behaviour and save up a minimum £300 towards repaying the embezzled cash.