A HOUSING officer who embezzled more than £7,000 from her former employer has saved up enough money to pay the sum back in full.

Renton woman Julie Montague was given until the end of September to produce a receipt from Cordale Housing Association showing she has reimbursed them.

But Montague will also have to carry out unpaid work in the community for the crime, which was discovered in June 2015 while Montague was employed as an executive officer at the organisation.

The 38-year-old Johnstone Road resident will carry out the punishment after she admitted embezzling £7,755 from the association at an earlier hearing.

Montague pleaded guilty to the charge last year; a court hearing in October 2016 was told that her activity was discovered after colleagues at Cordale discovered a discrepancy relating to a cash payment of £690.

That hearing was told Montague had responsibility for overseeing financial management and all transactions within the organisation.

Montague resigned after being interviewed by a senior official at the housing association, when she admitted amending one of her employer's bank statements to make it look as if everything was in order.

But after the association's bank statements were audited, a further discrepancy of £7,085 was discovered.

A further court hearing in January was told Montague was struggling to get a job so that she could earn enough to pay back the money.

But on Friday Montague's solicitor, Jonathan Paul, told Dumbarton Sheriff Court: “All the funds are available to make a final payment.”

Sheriff Maxwell Hendry told Montague: “The offence you commited was the sort of offence that in the past would almost inevitably have led to a custodial sentence.

“Attitudes have changed somewhat. You have taken a large step forward to mitigate the offence.”

Montague was given six months to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, and told to come back to court on September 29 with proof that the sum embezzled had been repaid.