Post Office clerk stole thousands of pounds from till 'to pay off loan shark'

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https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north- ... s-25426789

Sharron Seward claimed to be £30,000 in debt when she stole from her employer

A woman whose debts spiralled out of control ended up sneaking cash into her handbag after most of her shifts at a Post Office branch. Sharron Seward, of Bodlondeb in Flint, admitted fraud by abuse of position at an earlier hearing at Mold Magistrates Court after using her position as a currency booth clerk to pocket around £5,000 over the course of a month.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said that one till was short of the "fairly substantial" sum when postmistress Helen Bailey, of the Flint branch, conducted a routine spot check on July 12. She questioned Seward who admitted she had been taking a few hundred pounds on each shift.

The CCTV footage taken at the branch over the previous month was reviewed and it was discovered how she'd regularly count out a sum of banknotes, fill up a money bag and hide it in her scarf. She then moved the cash into a cardigan, the court heard, before stashing the money in her bag kept in the back office.

Mr Espie said the 45-year-old woman claimed to be £30,000 in debt having had dealings with a loan shark. It was said that her former employer was left with "trust issues" after discovering Seward's thefts.

Gary Harvey, defending, said his client had problems with finances and bills to pay and was "getting increasingly into debt" when she resorted to stealing from her employer. She had hoped to pay off the debts with the help of her father, he added.

Chair of the bench Ceri Hughes, sentenced Seward to a year in prison, suspended for 18 months. She will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in compensation to Ms Bailey.