ABERDEEN MAN AVOIDS JAIL FOR EMBEZZLING £30,000 FROM HIS MOTHER
A man named Greg Shearer, aged 28, was involved in embezzling nearly £30,000 that was designated for his mother’s neurological care.He was entrusted with managing her finances when she moved into a care home due to her declining health.
However, he exploited this responsibility by withdrawing a total of £29,414 from her bank account without her permission or knowledge, using various bank machines around Aberdeen from January 2020 to April 2022.
The fraud was uncovered when staff at the care home received bank statements indicating the suspicious transactions and contacted the police; his mother confirmed she was unaware of these withdrawals.
Greg Shearer was arrested on February 7, 2023, and admitted to embezzlement.
During the court hearing, defence solicitor Gregor Kelly explained that Shearer’s limited intellect made him unsuitable to manage such responsibilities, but also acknowledged that his actions were a significant breach of trust.
Sheriff William Summer condemned his conduct as "despicable" and a blatant abuse of his mother’s trust.
As a result, Shearer was sentenced to a community payback order for three years, with supervision and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Additionally, he was ordered to repay his mother £10,000 in compensation.
The court highlighted that Shearer’s actions were shameful and took advantage of his vulnerable mother’s trust, leading to a significant legal punishment and a plea to rebuild their relationship in the future.
