Panto dame jailed after embezzling £75,000 from charity that helped launch James McAvoy

David McCann, a founding subordinate of the highly palmy PACE Theatre, has been sentenced to 18 months successful situation for embezzlement. McCann was led distant from Paisley Sheriff Court connected Monday aft confessing to stealing £75,000 from the arts foundation that launched the careers of immoderate of Paisley's astir celebrated individuals.

The School Wynd radical expressed alleviation astatine the sentencing, describing it arsenic the extremity of "a precise bittersweet and hard occurrence for everyone involved". McCann, who besides performed nether the sanction David Wallace, pilfered the wealth betwixt December 1, 2013, and July 25, 2017, portion serving arsenic the manager and main enforcement of the Paisley company.

Before his proceedings began successful September astatine Paisley Sheriff Court, the disgraced panto dame admitted to transferring the wealth from PACE's slope relationship to his idiosyncratic 1 and utilizing the institution recognition paper for idiosyncratic expenses. Prosecutors claimed the 62 twelvemonth aged had embezzled £108,831, but his plea of blameworthy to £75,000 was accepted by the Crown.

He had reportedly promised to repay overmuch of the wealth with loans from friends and family. However, Sheriff Amel Elfallah told McCann, of Lomond Drive, Glasgow, that determination was nary alternate to jail, reports the Daily Record. 

Donald Urquhart, seat of the committee astatine PACE Theatre Company, said they were considering civilian enactment to retrieve the money. He told Paisley Daily Express: "This should beryllium the decision to a precise bittersweet and hard occurrence for everyone involved, including our staff."

Grant Mason, the main enforcement of PACE, said: "At PACE, we person moved connected and we person gone from spot to strength. The committee present volition reappraisal its options with respect to immoderate further civilian action."

He praised his squad by adding: "PACE welcomes a solution to this matter. I'd similar to convey unit and the committee for their continued hard enactment and dedication portion the lawsuit has been ongoing."

Mason highlighted the company's accomplishments post-crisis: "PACE has made important strides since David McCann's removal from the company, achieving a turnaround successful its fiscal show and broadening the scope of our activities, and I person perfectly nary uncertainty that PACE volition proceed to thrive."

PACE has been fostering originative endowment since 1998 erstwhile it was established arsenic a non-profit theatre institution by McCann and colleagues, boasting celebrated alumni similar Paolo Nutini, Richard Madden, and James McEvoy. The organisation is renowned for honing young originative skills done immersive performing arts experiences.

PACE Youth Theatre, which is the UK's largest and brings successful implicit 1,000 youngsters weekly, falls nether its ambit alongside different nonrecreational signifier and touring productions. It's notable for the yearly pantomime hosted astatine Paisley Arts Centre.

The curtain rises contiguous connected its eagerly anticipated 2024 accumulation of Aladdin, which promises to captivate audiences astatine Paisley Arts Centre until January 5, 2025.