Hospital worker stole £9,000
A MANAGER at the Woman's Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) Coffee Shop at Harrogate District Hospital faked a burglary after stealing over £3,000 from the safe.
Gail Martin, 41, from Kingsley Park Mews, Harrogate, also stole 6,000 in cash that she was supposed to bank – a total of 9,167,08.
York Crown Court heard on Wednesday how Martin, who pleaded guilty to two charges of theft between December 13, 2007 and February 12, 2008, was responsible for banking and held keys for the shop and safe.
Prosecuting, Sabrina Hartshorn said in January 2008, Martin had reported a burglary after she had let herself in and found the safe open. The police found no signs of forced entry but 3,276 had been taken and the theft aroused the suspicion of employers.
Dire
Miss Hartshorn added that in January and February 2008 Martin failed to bank all the takings to the sum of 5,891,08.
Following a spot check at the cafe on February 8, she was suspended and arrested.
When interviewed by police, Martin, who is reliant on state benefits, initially denied taking the money but accepted she was in serious financial difficulty.
Sentencing Martin to a year's community order with six months supervision, Judge James Spencer QC said: "It was a very mean offence when you stole money from this charity but I appreciate you were driven to it by your dire financial circumstances."
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