Workington woman who stole £88k from employer was gambling addict
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A WORKINGTON woman who stole more than £88,000 from her employer while in a relationship with him blamed her addiction to online gambling.
But a judge at Carlisle Crown Court drew back from handing Susan Adams, 52, an immediate jail sentence after hearing that she had shown remorse and that, as a single mum, she is a "primary carer."
The defendant, of Gray Street, Workington, earlier pleaded guilty to theft by employee and fraud by false representation.
Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, outlined how the victim was joiner and kitchen fitter Robert Scott, who had started a relationship with Adams shortly before he took her on as an employee in his business in 2017.
She worked as a book-keeper.
Her main role was to look after the business accounts, which an earlier hearing heard was an area of the business that Mr Scott 'did not pay much attention to'. She was also responsible for paying the bills.
The offences came to light after Mr Scott was contacted by The Cumberland Building Society, alerting him to his dwindling funds – reduced to around £400 when the balance should have run into thousands.
It emerged that Adams had been helping herself to money from his personal account, making cash withdrawals. The stolen money – a total of £88,719 - was taken between April 6, 2017 and March 1, 2018.
The magnitude of Mr Scott’s losses from money he had been relying upon for the future had forced him to delay his retirement, said Mr Rogerson.
Sean Harkin, defending, said the root of the defendant’s wrongdoing was an addiction to online gambling, which had left her with a £30,000 debt. After her arrest four years ago, she had immediately admitted her wrongdoing and expressed remorse.
Judge Richard Archer accepted that the defendant’s gambling addiction was an explanation for what she had done. Her also noted her 'full and frank' admissions to the police, offered some four and a half years ago.
Whilst courts had to take into account a background of a defendant being a sole carer, that fact was not a 'get out of jail free' card, said the judge.
The judge said the defendant had breached two kinds of trust: the trust placed in her by her employer; and the trust placed in her by a partner while they were in a relationship. It was also made worse by the fact that the victim’s losses had forced him to delay his retirement.
“He needs to work for significantly longer to rebuild his personal financial position,” said the judge.” But Judge Archer accepted Adams was remorseful, she was a sole primary carer, and that she herself suffered health problems.
He also noted that Adams had committed no further offences, which may indicate that she had got her gambling addiction under control.
Taking all that into account, said the judge, he was able to suspend the jail term. Adams was given a 20-month jail term, suspended for 18 months. The sentence includes a three month tagged 9pm to 6am curfew.
As she prepared to leave the dock, weeping as she did so, the judge told Adams: “I hope you will take the opportunity you have been given and that we will not see you back before this court again.”
