Jack Duthie, 27, was working in a financial role at Norwegian oil and gas operator DNO North Sea PLC, based at Carden Place in Aberdeen, when he discovered that the firm’s money-management system contained a lapse that allowed him to transfer funds to his own accounts without detection. Between July 2020 and February 2022, Mr Duthie made a series of transfers totalling £95,645, using the money to feed a long-standing gambling addiction.

Suspicions were raised within DNO in 2021, when bosses noticed financial inconsistencies. In March 2022, Mr Duthie came forward and confessed to his manager, though he initially estimated he had taken around £50,000 – roughly half the actual sum. He made partial voluntary repayments of £8,710 and £4,850 to the company.

At Aberdeen Sheriff Court, fiscal depute Brian Young outlined the details of the offending, while defence solicitor Michael Burnett urged the court to consider his client’s circumstances. Mr Duthie, of Perwinnes Crescent, Bridge of Don, was 23 when the offences came to light and 25 by the time the case reached court. He is married with two children, and the case has placed considerable strain on his family, The Press and Journal reports.

“This was not a case of a criminal taking someone else’s money to spend on fast cars and flash holidays,” Mr Burnett told the court. “This was an illness he has had since was 13, he was feeding his addiction, chasing gambling losses.”

Mr Duthie lost his position at DNO and, though he secured another role in accountancy, lost that post as a consequence of his conviction. He now works as a delivery driver. The court heard he had no previous convictions and had expressed genuine remorse.

A financial assessment found that his only significant asset was £12,297 of equity in his home. Sheriff Lesley Johnson issued a confiscation order requiring that equity to be surrendered, with the Crown Office agreeing the funds would be directed to DNO North Sea rather than the general Crown fund.

Sentencing Mr Duthie, Sheriff Johnson acknowledged that the money had not funded a lavish lifestyle and took into account the impact of his actions on his young children. She sentenced him to 300 hours of unpaid work, to be completed within 19 months, along with 18 months of supervision, which will include support for his ongoing treatment for gambling addiction.

DNO, which acquired Aberdeen-based Faroe Petroleum in 2019, is headquartered in Norway and operates offices in Dubai, Iraq and England.