Office Manager Steals from Mental Health Charity, Avoids Jail

0:00It's April 23rd. You're listening to Edinburgh News today, AI-powered local news. An Edinburgh office manager dodged jail time after stealing nearly 20,000 pounds from a mental health charity. Ben Lockhead, a 30-year-old from Leith, worked as an assistant finance manager for Scottish Action for Mental Health. He took 19,217 pounds over just three days in November, 2023. Earlier this week, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Lockhead got sentenced following his guilty plea earlier this year. The cash went straight to his drink and drug habits, including paying off a 20,000-pound debt from his addictions. His lawyer explained that Lockhead has paid back over 18,000 pounds already and kicked his substance issues for good. Families pretty gutted, seeing this as a major wake-up call for him to turn things around. The Sheriff called it a serious breach of trust, especially hitting a charity that helps folks with mental health. Custody was on the table, but instead, Lockhead landed the max of 300 hours unpaid work.

1:03Now substance-free and making changes, he's got a shot to rebuild without bars, but that community service will keep him accountable moving forward.