Panto dame jailed for embezzling £75,000 from influential theatre company

David McCann, a co-founder of the renowned PACE Theatre which propelled stars like James McAvoy and Paolo Nutini to fame, has been handed an 18-month prison term for embezzling funds.

The former panto dame, who also went by the stage name David Wallace, was taken into custody at Paisley Sheriff Court on Monday after he admitted to pocketing £75,000 from the arts charity that launched the careers of some of Scotland’s most celebrated figures.

Leaders at the company expressed their relief, noting that the conclusion of the trial brings closure to what has been “a very sad and difficult episode for everyone involved”. McCann, who held the reins as director and chief executive of PACE Theatre, siphoned off the money between December 1, 2013, and July 25, 2017.

Ahead of his September trial, the shamed entertainer admitted to funnelling funds from PACE’s accounts into his own and purchasing personal items with the company credit card. Although prosecutors accused the 62-year-old of misappropriating £108,831, they accepted his guilty plea for the lesser sum of £75,000.

According to the Daily Record, McCann had vowed to repay a substantial portion of the stolen money with assistance from loans secured through friends and relatives. Nonetheless, Sheriff Amel Elfallah informed McCann, resident of Lomond Drive, Glasgow, that imprisonment was the only recourse.

Donald Urquhart, chair of the board at PACE Theatre Company, expressed that while the tough times may draw to an end, there is still consideration for legal action to recoup funds. He remarked: “This should be the conclusion to a very sad and difficult episode for everyone involved, including our staff.”

Meanwhile, Grant Mason, the chief executive of PACE, highlighted the company’s resilience and successful recovery post-crisis: “At PACE, we have moved on and we have gone from strength to strength. The board now will review its options with regard to any further civil action.”

Urquhart went on to express his appreciation, stating: “PACE welcomes a resolution to this matter. I’d like to thank staff and the board for their continued hard work and dedication while the case has been ongoing.

“PACE has made significant strides since David McCann’s removal from the company, achieving a turnaround in its financial performance and broadening the reach of our activities, and I have absolutely no doubt that PACE will continue to thrive.”

With illustrious roots dating back to 1998 as a charity, PACE has established itself as a cradle of youth talent, boasting prestigious alumni like Paolo Nutini, Richard Madden, and James McAvoy. PACE takes pride in nurturing the next generation of performers through comprehensive performing arts exposure, running the UK’s largest youth theatre program—PACE Youth Theatre.