A shop assistant who stole money from a customer’s wallet has been fined.
The customer had left his wallet in the Co-op store in Duke Street, Douglas, and when he realised and returned to the store to collect it, noticed that £60 had been removed from it.
Denise Pressley, aged 62, of Snaefell Road, in Willaston, admitted a charge of theft when she appeared in court last week.
Magistrates fined her £500 when she appeared before them for sentencing.
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Prosecutor Barry Swain told the court that the customer had been in the Douglas shop at 2pm on Wednesday, June 19.
The customer left the store after paying for goods but then realised he had left his wallet behind.
Missing cash
When he returned he spoke to Pressley who produced the wallet from a box under the cash till.
The man even offered to give the shop assistant a £10 reward but Pressley refused the offer.
However, once he had left the shop he discovered that £60 which had been in the wallet was missing.
The man went back into the shop and spoke to the manager before the police were called.
Pressley was interviewed and admitted stealing the money.
She said she had acted on impulse but had later ripped up the money and flushed it down a toilet. Mr Swain described the theft as a breach of trust, saying that although it was not a theft from an employer, it was akin to that.
The court heard that Pressley has previous convictions for similar offences.
Wake-up call
Defence advocate Paul Glover said: ’Ms Pressley is not working at present but she informs me she does have a job offer.
’She did lose her job at the Co-op.’
The advocate said that at the time of the offence Pressley had suffered two family bereavements and had health problems.
’To her credit she has found a new job and is feeling better in herself,’ said Mr Glover.
’This has been a massive wake-up call.
’She can’t put her finger on the motive for this.’
Magistrates ordered Pressley to pay £60 compensation to the man and £50 prosecution costs.
She will pay all the amounts at a rate of £100 per month.