A cleaner from Douglas has been sentenced to community service for stealing a phone and DVDs from a couple who employed her.

Aleksandra Michalina Czerniak, of Empire Terrace, was ordered to perform 180 hours’ work and pay £125 prosecution costs.

Defence advocate Winston Taylor told the court that Czerniak had been subjected to a hate campaign on Facebook since the incident and had even received death threats.

We previously reported how Czerniak, who is 29, helped herself to 10 DVDs said to originally be worth £150 and a Samsung mobile phone valued at £55 while she was working at a house in Nursery Avenue. She had sold seven of the DVDs and the phone to second hand stores in Douglas.

She initially told police she had borrowed three DVDs but denied taking any more. But after receipts were obtained from the shop Czerniak admitted to stealing 10 DVDs.

In court, Mr Taylor said: ’Ms Czerniak sold the DVDs for £9.73 and the phone for £35 so it was a total of £44.73. She told probation she could not explain why she took the items, other than she had access. She was not motivated by a lack of funds and accepts she was not honest in her first account which she gave to police.

’She felt ashamed and didn’t want to admit it, fearing she would get into greater trouble.

’She accepts it is a breach of trust. Since this was reported, her photo, name, address and phone number have been posted on Facebook.

’She has received abusive phone calls and death threats and had to change her number and phone. She wanted to personally apologise.’

The advocate said Czerniak had lost her employment through the adverse publicity and had been cleaning for her landlord in lieu of rent, but was now working in a bar.

’She lives an isolated existence, her former group of friends have isolated her since the Facebook campaign,’ said Mr Taylor.

’She lives for work as she has no social life. She has never been in trouble before, this is her first offence.’

The court heard the shop where Czerniak had received cash for the stolen goods had not been refunded but Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ’ This is not the first time this establishment has been involved in a case like this.

’They should be extremely careful in their business and for that reason I am not going to make an order for any compensation.’

Mrs Hughes gave Czerniak credit for her immediate guilty plea and added: ’That saved valuable court and police time and meant that the couple knew they would not be required to give evidence.

’But you have lost your good character for an offence of dishonesty and that is going to have implications for finding employment in the future.’