A LARGS woman has been warned she faces a prison sentence for embezzling thousands of pounds from a seafront bar in the town - while the owner underwent cancer treatment.

Bryony McKee pocketed more than £17,000 from Potters on Gallowgate Street over a period of two and a half months last year.

A court heard the 29-year-old stepped in to manage the premises because of the owner's health issues.

McKee was slammed by a judge for her “disgusting behaviour” – and warned that there’s a “high” chance she’ll be jailed for the crime after McKee's lawyer said not a penny of the stolen funds had been repaid.

The News previously reported how McKee had been charged with embezzling more than £21,000 from the business.

But at a hearing at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Friday, McKee pleaded guilty to an amended charge - admitting that she embezzled £17,365.85 from the business between September 21 and December 1 last year.

The procurator fiscal depute told the June 16 hearing: “The locus was Potter’s Bar, a public house in Largs town centre.  

“At the beginning of 2022, the owner received a cancer diagnosis and while receiving treatment took a back step from the daily running of the business.  

“On August 17, Ms McKee took on the role of the premises manager, responsible for finance including cash and banking cash takings weekly.  

“In September, Ms McKee began informing the owner that the pub wasn’t turning over much business and takings were low.

“Owing to her treatment, the owner was not fit to go to the pub and took Ms McKee at her word.  

“A [witness], also employed at the locus, checked the safe where change was kept in October 2022. On checking the safe she found £45 inside. The usual sum would ordinarily be £900. 

“She asked Ms McKee about that, who said it was locked away in her house for safe keeping. 

“That information was conveyed to the owner, who became suspicious.

“In December she decided to check the business bank account, which showed that no cash had been paid in since September 21 and no payments made at all.

“She was then in a position to view daily till records. 

“Through her own investigation she found that £17,365.85 was unaccounted for. Ms Shaw messaged Ms McKee after an unsuccessful attempt to phone call her. 

“Ms McKee stated she had the money at her home and that she would pay it back. She asked Ms McKee to go to her home address to give her it back, but she never attended. 

“The owner thereafter contacted police. Police reviewed the circumstances in full, including the till record and bank statements.”

McKee eventually became aware that police wanted to speak to her, and presented herself at Saltcoats police station on January 4, when she was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement and provided a ‘no comment’ interview.

The fiscal depute told Sheriff Alistair Watson that the bar’s owners had told the Crown she’d had to use her own savings to “bail the business out” as a result of the financial and personal distress suffered by McKee’s actions.

Sheriff Watson told defence solicitor Simon Brown his client was “very lucky to be on a summary complaint” rather than prosecuted on a more serious solemn indictment. 

Asking if anything had been done to repay the embezzled funds to the owner, Mr Brown replied: “No.” 

Sheriff Watson told McKee: “This is utterly disgusting behaviour.  

“Be in no doubt this is at the top end of severity – aggravated in my view by there being absolutely no repayment. 

“I will be really blunt: the possibility of you going to prison is high.”

Deferring sentence for social work background reports, Sheriff Watson allowed McKee to remain free – albeit on bail – in the meantime.

McKee, of John Clark Street, Largs, will return to court at a later date to find out her fate.