Accused of embezzling £285,000

A book keeper has appeared in court, accused of embezzling nearly £285,000 from a community trust, a health company, and one of Scotland’s best known fish and chip shops.

Jenny Lilly is said to have embezzled nearly £197,880 from the Real Food Cafe, in Tyndrum, while employed as a book keeper there between May 2011 and November 2015.

She is also said to have embezzled £81,998 between January 2015 and April 2016 while employed as a book keeper at Later Life Training, of Killin, West Perthshire, and £5039 between July and the end of September 2016 while keeping the books for the Strathfillan Community Development Trust, based at Tyndrum Village Hall.

At Stirling Sheriff Court on Tuesday , Lilly, 45, pleaded not guilty on indictment to three charges of alleged embezzlement.

Neil Kilcoyne, defending, asked for the case to be continued for one week,“whereupon agreement should be reached”.

Prosecutor Kyrsten Buist said the Crown agreed with the defence motion.

She said:“There’s a significant volume of productions, but it’s highly likely the case will resolve.”

Sheriff William Gilchrist continued bail and ordered Lily, now of Brackley, Northamptonshire, to reappear in court on August 8.

This year the Real Food Cafe was listed as one of Great Britain’s“top 60”fish and chip shops in the National Fish and Chip Awards.

Later Life Training is a not-forprofit provider of specialist exercise training for health and exercise professionals working with “older people, frailer older people and stroke survivors”.

The Strathfillan Community Development Trust, an offshoot of Strathfillan Community Council, carries out community projects in the Tyndrum/Crianlarich areas.