A COUPLE were left devastated after a fraudster abused their trust to swindle nearly £9,000 while working at their insurance firm.

Dalry man David Figgins, 55, admitted dishonestly obtaining £8,743 through falsified commissions while a sales advisor at Pelican Finance – run by Barbara and John Scott.

The Burnhouse Avenue resident was ordered to pay back this sum at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court last week [Tuesday, January 12] after previously admitting falsifying various applications from August 1, 2016 and November 30, 2017.

However Pelican Finance director Barbara Scott said the compensation order will not even cover the total costs they have to repay and felt he’d been let off for his betrayal of trust.

She said: “We’re not happy – there’s been no punishment so we’re absolutely furious. I would have thought he would have got some community service at the very least – there is no deterrent there.

“He took the details of people he knew, friends, family and people in Dalry, then took out insurance policies while these people were unaware of this – he had bank details, dates of birth names and addresses.

“The insurance company paid us a commission and he got a portion of that commission.

“We got a call from the insurance company after they picked up on it saying there were clients where it was getting paid into the same bank account and that they thought it was our advisor.

“We confronted him and he admitted it, but saying it was family and they’ve not got a bank account – and tried to resign which we wouldn’t accept.

“We’re left carrying the can for it. He walked out the door then the end of the first week we had £10,000 clawed back with the policies cancelled.”

When he returned to court for sentencing [Tuesday, January 12] his defence solicitor said Figgins “accepted responsibility” and “felt genuine shame’.

He added he could “not put the blame on anyone but himself”, but told Sheriff Jamieson his client felt under financial pressure and “robbing Peter to pay Paul”.

However Barbara added: "He wasn't robbing Peter to pay Paul - he was robbing us.

“In the face of the debt we have had to repay the compensation order is of little consolation as is the fact that no other punishment was handed down to someone who not only abused our trust but the trust of those around him.”