Cashier Susan Leonard steals £370k from Mitcham bank to pay off credit cards
9:50am Tuesday 13th November 2012 in Wimbledon Exclusive By Omar Oakes, Chief Reporter
Cashier Susan Leonard was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court after stealing £370k from Mitcham bank
Susan Leonard, from Cranmer Close, Morden, pleaded guilty to fleecing £370,000 from NatWest bank’s branch in London Road, Mitcham, where she worked for more than 30 years.
Yesterday she was sentenced to two years imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court.
Judge Peter Birts QC said he was “astonished” that Leonard, the bank’s head cashier, was able to steal so much money over three years.
“I do accept that had that been followed the amount of money you did steal would have been reduced.
“It could be argued that but for the bank's fail to supervise you, you would have offended for a much shorter period.”
The judge also berated Leonard for originally concocting a sob story in which she claimed she was blackmailed at knifepoint by three unidentified "black men" who threatened her and her daughter unless she stole the money for them.
After auditors discovered irregularities with the accounts in 2010, Leonard tried to commit suicide before being arrested and was treated for depression and anxiety.
He told the court: “It was compulsions to treat her daughter on birthdays which they couldn’t afford - a ride in a limo, and jewellery, although we’re talking about silver bracelets, rather than a string of pearls.
“Expenditure was covered by credit cards. The interest was covered by more credit cards. It was costing £5000 to £6000 simply to cover the interest on credit cards.
“There were 32 credit cards found on her arrest. The vast majority were maxed out to the hilt. She was in the deepest of credit crises. How she found herself in that position beggars belief.”
Mr Magee added: "It was easy. There was nothing sophisiticated about what she was doing, expect she was covering her tracks.
"It was all too easy for this to happen. That explains why there is maybe up to half a million pound lost which the public at large will find extraordinary."A rather unsophisticated lady was able to pull out so much money over this period."
Auditors from the bank discovered irregularities with the amount logged of how much money the bank collected and was to be sent to a cash centre in sealed bags.
Alex Woods, prosecuting, told the court: "When the auditors checked the transaction sheets that have to be filled out when members of staff check the reserve account, they examined 33 of these bank reserves listing sheets which had been completed between January 2010 and February 2010.
"The protocol is: whenever cash is to be entered there must be two employees counting the cash and check the entry is correct. These funds are recorded into the system. It is signed by both employees.
Of these 33 listing sheets that were collected in that period, Mrs Leonard had signed every single one of them. The co-signature varied between four employees.
"Two of them were Paul Brooks, the deputy branch manager, and Samantha Barrios, the branch manager [both present in court].
"Mrs Barrios told police that on several occasions, Mrs Leonard would approach her while she was busy and had a million things to do, which is when she would ask her to sign the sheets.
"She would say Paul Brooks had counted the cash with her but was slow to sign the paperwork. This led to their dismissal from their positions."
In victim impact statements given to the court, Mr Brooks said he lost his early retirement package of approximately £10,000 and felt “suicidal” at times.
Mrs Barrios said the affair left her with health concerns and financial difficulties, as well as her career being ruined.
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