A funeral home worker pocketed more than £4,000 in charity donations from bereaved families.
Sally Duncan also embezzled more than £13,000 from her firm by overpaying her salary and making payments into several bank accounts she had opened.
The clerkess escaped jail yesterday after Inverness Sheriff Court was told she had repaid all the money.
Duncan, 41, confessed to taking the cash when confronted by bosses at John Ross Funeral Services in Grantown.
At an earlier court hearing the married mother Duncan admitted embezzling £17,337 from the funeral home where she worked for two years between March, 2011 and March 2013.
Sentence was deferred until yesterday for a background report on the first offender.
Sheriff Margaret Neilson sentenced her to 300 hours of unpaid community work and said she would remain under social work supervision for 18 months.
Funeral director John Ross said after the hearing that the charities did not lose out, as his company sent off a cheque after each service, although the cash taken by Duncan never reached the family firm’s bank.
The court heard Duncan of 16 South West High Street, Grantown was originally charged with embezzling £29,975 but a plea to the reduced amount of £17,337 was accepted by the prosecution.
Defence lawyer Sandy Morrison said all the missing money had been repaid – but did not explain why she committed the crime.
He added: “She is extremely embarrassed and remorseful for what has occurred. She lives in a small community and it was a small family firm involved and she is fully aware of the consequences for it.”
Sheriff Margaret Neilson told her: “This was a gross breach of trust but in your favour you have repaid the money and admitted your guilt at an early stage. Only because of that, I will not impose a custodial sentence, but a community based disposal as a direct alternative.”
The court was told Duncan worked at the funeral home as an administrative assistant and bookkeeper when she carried out the offences between March 18, 2011, and 28, 2013.
Speaking at her home later, Duncan said: “I am sorry for what happened. Now I just want to be left alone.”
