Aberdeen Grandmother Ordered to Repay £670K After £1.5M Embezzlement

Coleen Muirhead, a 57-year-old grandmother from Aberdeen, was jailed for over three years after embezzling approximately £1.5 million from her employer, Panda Rosa Metals, by creating false accounts during her tenure as an administrator. She used the stolen funds to support an extravagant lifestyle, including family holidays, new cars, caravans, charity event expenses, and payments to family members and a colleague allegedly blackmailing her. Following her conviction, the High Court in Glasgow issued a confiscation order requiring Muirhead to repay £668,726.71 under Proceeds of Crime laws, an amount also designated as compensation to her former employer. Despite Muirhead's claims that the money was spent or given away and her current financial struggles, the court noted that the total benefit from her criminal conduct was nearly £2 million, and the confiscation order may be revisited if additional assets are found. Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of embezzlement, highlighting that legal actions extend beyond sentencing to ensure recovery of illegally obtained funds.