A CEMETERY manager who pocketed thousands of pounds by selling forged burial deeds to bereaved families has been jailed.

William Henderson, 45, was sentenced to 16 months in prison following a trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

He had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of "fraudulent scheme" in relation to his employment at Mount Vernon cemetery in Liberton, Edinburgh.

He sold space in the cemetery to grieving families to use for burials, for example unused space under access paths.

He targeted 13 people, taking £14,720 in money between 2006 and 2015.

Andrew Richardson, Procurator Fiscal for Lothian and Borders, said: “Henderson was a trusted individual by those who had responsibility for the running of the cemetery and he took the opportunity to abuse that trust for his own financial gain."

Henderson was employed at the cemetery between 1997 and 2015.

From 2006 onwards he created fake burial deeds and persuaded grieving families to pay for them to bury their loved ones.

He also oversaw the 'overburial' of two people where families were sold plots they believed to be fresh graves. In fact, they were unmarked graves that were already occupied.

The offences were brought to the attention of Police Scotland by the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, which is thought to have lost thousands of pounds.

Following an investigation by Edinburgh's CID, Henderson was charged in November 2016.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Grainger said: "William Henderson successfully obtained large sums of money from people mourning the death of loved ones and looking to have them buried within Mount Vernon Cemetery.

"At no point during our inquiries did Henderson show any remorse for his actions, or the impact his deception will have had on his victims.

"We took a sensitive and professional approach when interviewing those affected and are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted with our inquiries, particularly when they had to relive some painful memories in the process.

"I would again like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all the families who supported our investigation, as well as the staff at the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, who worked really hard to help with our inquiries.

"It is my hope that this sentence now brings a sense of closure around this matter."

Mr Richardson added: “This was as very unusual offence which greatly affected a number of families. It was a complex case to investigate, requiring painstaking effort from police and prosecutors to establish the fraud that was being perpetrated.

“It should be some comfort to the victims of his offending that he accepted his guilt at an early stage in proceedings.”