Daryl Louden pleaded guilty to embezzling £134,177 from the Post Office
A man has admitted embezzling more than £134,000 from an Edinburgh post office to feed his gambling habit.
Daryl Louden, 26, from Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to embezzling £134,177 from the Post Office at RS McColl's shop in Ferry Road between 1 January and 29 September 2016.
Sentence was deferred at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Louden was bailed.
Louden said his gambling began after taking out a loan and hoping to pay it from his winnings.
Fiscal depute Anthony Steele said as Louden lost more and more money he bet more and more to try and repay his losses.
Defence solicitor Jennifer McEvinney said her client had had online accounts with three betting companies, gambling on football and horse racing.
He had worked at the Post Office for six years and had been due for promotion to area manager.
She said Louden "was having difficulty sleeping and carrying out his functions". He told another area manager, David Richardson, he no longer wanted promotion.
Louden, she added, broke down in Mr Richardson's car and told him everything. "Both men decided to go to the police. He (Louden) was very clear he wanted to get this over and done with."
Ms McEvinney said Louden had been engaged, but as a result of the offence that had ended, as his fiancee "simply could not come to terms with what he had done".