Bank worker Paul Jennings jailed for £122,502 embezzlement in England

A former bank worker has been jailed for embezzling £122,502 of customer's cash to fund his gambling habit.

Paul Jennings, 33, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, transferred cash from 13 dormant customer accounts between July 2008 and April 2011.

He was caught when two customers at the Halifax Bank of Scotland branch, on Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, came forward after noticing money was missing.

Jennings was jailed for 35 months after pleading guilty to embezzlement.

At Glasgow Sheriff Court, former customer manager Jennings also admitted a charge of failing to turn up to an earlier court appearance.

Vulnerable targeted

Passing a sentence, Sheriff John Baird said: "You targeted deliberately the accounts of people you knew to be elderly and vulnerable."

The court heard Jennings transferred money out of the different accounts over the three year period to use for his gambling addiction.

One customer came forward when they noticed money was missing and Jennings initially denied any involvement despite his initials being on the withdrawal slip, but the full extent of his crime was not discovered.

When another customer came forward further investigations were made.

Defence lawyer Tom Williamson said that after joining the bank in 2003, Jennings moved to the Dumbarton Road branch in 2006.

He said: "After that he developed a chronic gambling addiction."