FORMER prison officers' union boss William Goodall was jailed for two years yesterday for embezzlement, but instead of going to Saughton prison, where he once worked, he was sent to a juvenile remand centre.

Goodall was jailed for embezzling #35,000 paid as a death benefit for one of his members.

In a departure from the usual legal requirement that he should go to the reception prison for the court where he was sentenced, Goodall was taken to Longriggend Remand Institution near Airdrie to begin his sentence.

Longriggend has about 20 short-term convicted adult prisoners who are hand-picked to run the kitchens at the juvenile remand institution.

A senior prison source said to The Herald: ``Had Goodall gone to Saughton and been subject to maltreatment or even worse by other prisoners, the service could have been crucified. His presence would have been enormously provocative.''

Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that, when Goodall, 47, of Station Road, Eskbank, Lothian, was general secretary of the Scottish Prison Officers' Association, he pocketed the #35,000 paid out as a death benefit to one of his members.

At an earlier court appearance, Goodall admitted embezzling the money.

Yesterday, his solicitor, Vincent Belmonte, pleaded with Sheriff John Horsburgh QC to give Goodall community service instead of a jail term.

He emphasised Goodall's previous good character, his age and the effect that a prison sentence would have on his family.

However, Sheriff Horsburgh said that community service would be ``quite inadequate''.

Depute-fiscal Neil Allan said that Goodall's crime was, ``a pretty callous piece of opportunism''.

His opportunity came when a woman prison officer, married to another officer, died.

She and her husband had both been members of the union's insurance scheme and the husband applied for death benefits totalling #42,000.

However, as his wife had retired from the prison service on health grounds shortly before her death, he was only entitled to #7000.

Goodall had already certified the claim for the full amount when he discovered the mistake.

When the #42,000 cheque from the insurance firm arrived at the union offices in Calder Road, Edinburgh, he paid it into the bank.

He then sent a cheque for #7000 to the bereaved officer, along with a letter explaining that he was not entitled to the other #35,000.

Goodall paid the #35,000 into a building society account in his wife's name and concocted a fake letter in a bid to cover his tracks.

The officer who made the claim disputed the fact that he had not been paid the #35,000 and Goodall wrote him a second, lengthy, letter of explanation.

The embezzlement was discovered after Goodall was voted out of office.