A carer was yesterday cleared of stealing thousands of pounds from Hollywood legend Clark Gable’s former secretary and her husband.
Kathleen Johnston denied taking the cash from Kenneth and Vera Hollidge, who are both now dead, and stood trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.
At the end of the Crown case, Johnston’s solicitor John MacColl argued that there was no evidence that the woman used the card without consent.
Following this submission Sheriff Susan Raeburn ruled that there was not enough evidence to support charges that Johnston stole the Hollidges’ bank card and used it to take £16,251.99 between December, 2009 and April 9, 2011.
Earlier yesterday, the court was shown Johnston’s filmed police interview during which she claimed that she had the Hollidges’ consent to withdraw money to pay for the couple’s food and clothing.
The film showed Johnston gasping in disbelief when she was told that £19,000 had gone missing from the Hollidges’ account.
Detective Constable Gregg Macdonald told Johnston in the interview about irregularities in Mr Hollidge’s finances.
Johnston said: “Oh my god. I am absolutely shocked at this.”
During the interview officers produced bank statements showing that sums of £500 and £1,000 had been withdrawn from the Hollidges’ account on several occasions.
Det Const Macdonald asked: “Surely you remember taking out £1,000?”
Johnston said: “Honestly I swear, hand on heart, I do not remember taking out £1,000 on that day.”
Officers also noticed that shortly after each withdrawal, similar sums were paid into Johnston’s own account.
They also examined a second account operated by Johnston for online bingo, discovering that she spent hundreds of pounds on games.
However Johnston denied betting with the Hollidges’ money.
She said: “I did not flutter it all away.”
She during the police interview: “I spent an absolute fortune on Ken and Vera, an absolute fortune.”
“I would not have taken that money for sake of spending it. I would not have done that to them.”
On leaving the court, Johnston, 55, of 15 The Riggs, Fort Augustus, said that the case had been hanging over her head for two years, but declined to say more.
Mr and Mrs Hollidge’s son, John, could not be reached for comment.
