To prison for 33 year old Gambling Addict who Embezzled

Bank manager embezzled £122,000 from customers for gambling habit

STV 17 April 2013 11:53 BST

HBOS: Jennings embezzled the cash while managing the Partick branch.

A bank manager pocketed more than £122,000 from customers to fund his gambling habit.

Paul Jennings transferred the money from 13 customers, many of whom were elderly, as their accounts had been dormant.

The 33-year-old’s crime was discovered when two customers came forward after they noticed their money was missing.

Jennings previously pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to embezzling £122,502 between July 2008 and April 2011 at the Halifax Bank of Scotland in Dumbarton Road, Partick.

He was jailed for two years and 11 months by Sheriff John Baird on Wednesday.
Customer manager Jennings, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, also admitted a charge of failing to turn up to an earlier court appearance.

Sheriff John Baird told him: "You targeted deliberately the accounts of people you knew to be elderly and vulnerable."

The court heard Jennings transferred money out of the different accounts over the three year period to use for his gambling addiction.

One customer came forward when they noticed money was missing and Jennings initially denied any involvement despite his initials being on the withdrawal slip, but the full extent of his crime was not discovered.

However, when another customer came forward, further investigations were made.
Defence lawyer Tom Williamson said that after joining the bank in 2003, Jennings moved to the Dumbarton Road branch in 2006.

Mr Williamson added: "After that he developed a chronic gambling addiction. He became aware he could move money from client accounts which had been dormant and he did that for 13 accounts in total.

"He thought that the fact that their accounts were dormant would mean he would not be detected."
Mr Williamson told the court that the money was used to fund his gambling and not a lavish lifestyle.

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