Sarah Cockburn, 33, worked as an account manager for the Glasgow printing company James McVicar Printers between January 2013 and July 2019.

During that time, she used the company’s systems to make 799 payments totalling £239,207.28 to bank accounts in her name.

The mum-of-two pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court and was sentenced on Monday.

She left the company last summer, and was subsequently caught after an investigation by the company into a missing British Gas payment of £28,000.

Cockburn claimed British Gas had lost the payment, but the energy company is still pursuing James McVicar Printers for the missing money.

The printing company was forced to take action following the embezzlement to keep the business “a going concern”, the court heard.

To combat the loss, it had to sell its main printing press and freeze staff salaries. The court was told that five people left the company as a result and business owner James McVicar could not afford to replace them.

McVicar also invested £70,000 from his private pension and premium bonds and released £60,000 in capital from another company he owned to support the business.

He has suffered stress and anxiety as a result of the ordeal, the court heard.

GlasgowLive reported on the case.

McVicar told Printweek: “It was in the papers as £239,000 but it was almost £320,000.

“We’re still up and running but we lost a lot of money and we won’t get it back. She committed a heartless, selfish crime.

“I’m actually feeling great because I got her jailed – I achieved my goal. It was a hard slog, but I did it.”