A bank worker has been convicted of stealing £120,000 from a wealthy customer she accused of sexually assaulting her.
Satnam Kaur tried to convince a court she had been given the cash as “hush money” after swindling Robert Brown.
She duped him into signing a blank banker’s draft then plundered his account over a period of a month.
Kaur paid the money into the account of another customer – Robert Mann – before forging his signature on a blank cheque which was deposited in her own Lloyds TSB account.
The theft happened at Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Aberdeen’s Albyn Place.
More than half the money was sent to an account in India.
Banking logs showed Kaur accessed both customer’s details on numerous occasions in the run-up to the theft.
Giving evidence at her trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday, the 32-year-old claimed Mr Brown had given her the money because she threatened to report him to the police for touching her inappropriately.
She said there were a number of incidents involving him trying to kiss her or touch her on the leg.
The former customer adviser, who is originally from India, claimed Mr Brown said he worked in the offshore industry and did not want to have any convictions on his record.
Kaur, who formerly stayed in Aberdeen’s Fraser Place butclaimed he offered to pay her cash in exchange for keeping quiet.
She told the court: “Originally, I said no and had no intention of taking the money but then when I went home and thought about it I agreed.”
She said she was not sure how much money Mr Brown planned to give her, and claimed he did not want to be linked to her in any way.
She said she asked Mr Mann if they cash could be transferred into his account first.
She told the court: “Mr Mann, I had known him for the last five years. He was like a father figure to me.
“I used to go to his place and cook for him. He gave me earrings as well.”
Kaur said Mr Mann had advised her to go to the police but said she was not keen to follow his advice, claiming a similar incident had happened to her while working at a department store.
The court also heard evidence from the two men, who insisted they had not given Kaur permission to access their accounts.
Mr Brown did not even notice the missing cash – transferred on October 20, 2011 – until he was informed by the authorities who were called in to investigate.
Fiscal depute Craig Harris said Kaur had told an “absolute pack of lies” about how the money went into her personal account.
None of the cash can be recovered but Mr Brown has since been reimbursed by the bank.
Sheriff Christopher Shead convicted her of theft and removing £88,000 from Scotland.
She had previously appeared in court on indictment charged with stealing more than £170,000 from both Mr Brown and Mr Mann.
The case against her collapsed in October last year because of a Crown blunder.
A fresh prosecution was launched under summary proceedings, which means she is likely to receive a lesser sentence than if she had been convicted by a jury.
Kaur, who is now facing deportation and a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, was remanded in custody to allow background reports to be prepared.
She will be sentenced later this month.