Sheriff Neil MacKinnon told Shields: “Your behaviour in this matter was not only dishonest, it was calculating and callous, taking advantage of the trust given to you by the complainer.”

At an earlier hearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, fiscal-depute Ruth Ross-Davie said Shields also told Ms McFarlane that he owed money to loan sharks who were threatening him and that they were also sending text messages to him that contained threats against her.

The court heard whenever Ms McFarlane expressed any doubt, he would reassure her that he wanted to be with her as soon as his matrimonial problems were resolved. Eventually, Ms McFarlane went to the police and by this time Shields was no longer working at Scottish Water.

Ms Ross-Davie said Ms McFarlane had taken out loans as well as being left with an overdraft of £6000.

She told the court that around Christmas in 2007, Shields indicated he wanted to leave his wife to be with Ms McFarlane. But Shields did not have a wife and there was never a romantic relationship between him and Ms McFarlane.

She said: “He made false claims as to his personal circumstances and in January 2008 began to talk to Ms McFarlane about the financial burdens of matrimonial problems. He told her that he had separated from his wife and that she was threatening to divorce him and remove his daughter from the UK and that he required lawyer’s fees.”

Shields then told her he owed money to loan sharks who were threatening him and sending threatening text messages. None of this was true.

Ms Ross-Davie said: “Whenever she expressed any doubt, he would reassure her that he wasn’t lying and that he wanted to be with her as soon as the matrimonial problems were resolved.

“It seems that Ms McFarlane was rather naive and inexperienced with relationships and this made her a target for his scheme.”

Shields, of Philip Avenue, Bathgate, admitted fraud and obtaining approximately £30,000 from Ms McFarlane by fraud between January 15 and March 31 last year at Scottish Water, Buckstone Terrace, Edinburgh, and elsewhere in the city.

Defence agent Peter O’Neill said: “This offence was rooted in his gambling addiction. He made friends with the woman at work and as their friendship grew he felt comfortable enough to ask her for money. He said he didn’t always expect to get money but she gave it to him and as an addict does you keep on going until it dries up.

“The story he gave was the story of legal proceedings with his daughter being taken overseas and that he would never see her again.

“People understand that legal fees will go up and up but he used the money for gambling. He understood the money given to him was a loan and he always intended to pay it back.”

Mr O’Neill added that Shields was “disgusted” and that he could not believe he let things get to the stage they did with a woman he regarded as a friend, who showed him nothing but kindness.

The court also heard Shields was now seeking help with his gambling addiction and had previously used the habit as a coping mechanism for depression.

Mr O’Neill urged the sheriff to put Shields on probation so he could get a job and pay Ms McFarlane back.

But Sheriff MacKinnon said a custodial sentence was the only option.

First offender Shields will also be on a supervised release order for six months after he has served his jail sentence.

A Scottish Water spokesman said: “This was a personal matter between two former agency staff who are no longer working with us. No Scottish Water money was lost.”