A TRAVEL consultant who swindled more than £25,000 from National Express escaped jail today.
Kevin Brown, 43, took the cash while he was working at Edinburgh's Waverley Railway Station because he was depressed and had run into financial difficulties.
Today Sheriff Frank Crowe ordered Brown to carry out 180 hours of community service.
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entencing Brown at the city's sheriff court Sheriff Crowe said: "This is a very serious charge that you faced.
"It was a considerable amount of public money and the traditional response of the courts when there has been a breach of trust is to consider a prison sentence.
"I do have to send out a message to others that a breach of trust like this is not acceptable at all."
But the sheriff said there was an alternative to custody because Brown was a first offender, previously had a good work record and would pay back the cash.
He also said he took into account that Brown was depressed at the time of the offence.
Defence agent Massimo D'Alvito told Edinburgh Sheriff Court Brown had already paid back £2,500 of the money he embezzled and was working two jobs six days a week with the aim of paying back the rest.
Mr D'Alvito added: "He has a good employment record and is at a low risk of re-offending."
Brown, of Pentland Road, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, previously admitted embezzling £25,745.70 while working as a travel consultant at National Express, Waverley Railway Station, Edinburgh.
He carried out the offence between 29 September, 2007, and 30 September last year.
The court heard Brown, who was employed by the company for 16 years, was caught when an auditor became suspicious because a large number of travel tickets sold at the station were immediately refunded.
In some cases the refunds were for as much as £400.
At an earlier hearing fiscal depute John Kirk said the auditor came across a high number in one month of tickets being sold and then immediately refunded.
The norm for this was usually one or two per month.
Mr Kirk added the audit revealed more than £25,000 was missing and when Brown was questioned he admitted carrying out the fraudulent transactions.
