Woman denies $439k theft

(CNS): A former employee of Bodden Corporate Services Ltd has denied stealing almost half a million dollars from one of her former employers' clients. In another major white collar crime to reach the local courts, Patricia Glasgow (45) pleaded not guilty on Friday to three charges relating to the disappearance of US$439,300 that reportedly belonged to Rochester Ltd, which has filed a separate civil action in the Grand Court holding Glasgow’s former employers responsible for the money, which it said was "misappropriated" from its accounts sometime between September 2008 and August 2011. Glasgow is not due to face trial now until June next year as a result of the heavy workload of her attorney, Ben Tonner, of Samson & McGrath.

Glasgow was charged with theft, obtaining money transfer by deception and making documents without authority. She pleaded her innocence before Justice Michael Mettyear on all three counts.

Rochester's attorneys, Nelson & Co, filed a civil suit in May  to recover the missing funds, requesting compensation and damages. According to the details of the claim, Rochester is holding the directors and staff of Bodden Corporate service Ltd liable for the missing cash as well.

Alleging fraud, theft, dishonest receipt, dishonest dealing, breach of trust, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence, Rochester claims the money was "misappropriated" from its account by Glasgow between September, 2008 and August, 2011 while she was employed by the corporate defendants.

Rochester is an offshore company that incorporated here in 1986 and the firm alleges in its suit that Glasgow took the money and is asking the court to allow it to attempt to recover the money from her. In addition, the firm accuses BCSL of acting “contrary to normally acceptable standards of honest conduct” and of turning “a blind eye” to what Glasgow was doing.