Teenage Shop Assistant Stoel Credit From Spar Shop
TEENAGE shop assistant Claire Brown stole almost £1,000-worth of credit while working at the Spar shop in Haddenham, by loading up store cards and failing to pay for it. She selected cards from the fashion store New Look and from the High Street discount
TEENAGE shop assistant Claire Brown stole almost £1,000-worth of credit while working at the Spar shop in Haddenham, by loading up store cards and failing to pay for it.
She selected cards from the fashion store New Look and from the High Street discount store Argos - and then used the credit to buy herself clothes, and to purchase toys.
Over an eight-day period, the 18-year-old put £937 worth of credit on electronic swipe cards, but was caught when suspicions were raised over the high amount of credit being obtained.
"At first she used a card legitimately, putting £20 on a card," prosecutor Olivia Gooding told Ely magistrates. "She then became curious to see what would happen if she topped up the cards and did not pay."
When interviewed by police, 18-year-old Brown, of High Street, Aldreth, was remorseful. Around £223 worth of credit remained on the New Look card, added Ms Gooding.
Brown admitted stealing £937 of store credit between June 19 and 28, belonging to the Spar store.
Most Read
- 1 Inside the £165,000 luxury river boat for sale in the Fens
- 2 Princess Anne unveils new 'national treasure' Jubilee table in Ely
- 3 See inside this Grade II listed former pub with self-contained annexe
- 4 Weekend closure for A142 for bridge works between Ely and Chatteris
- 5 See inside this £1.7m country house with its own lake near Ely
- 6 Villagers can be proud says school head as Ofsted gives thumbs up
- 7 Coach shocked as girls football idea goes from strength to strength
- 8 Table made from 5,000-year-old oak tree to be unveiled at Ely Cathedral in honour of The Queen
- 9 7 great places to get a bottomless brunch in Cambridgeshire
- 10 MBR Acres releases image of graffiti message
At the time of the offence Brown was not an adult, she was 17 years old, said solicitor Pat Whiles. Brown believed that around £400-worth of credit remained on the cards.
"She makes no excuses, she made full and frank admissions," said Miss Whiles. "She had previously worked in retail, handling large amounts of money, without any problem."
When Brown first worked at the Spar shop she was living with her parents, but then moved out to live with her boyfriend, and he supported her.
"He lost his job and she supported him, and then she was given an eviction notice," added Miss Whiles. "This was an impulsive offence; she does not know why she started it."
Sentencing was adjourned until August 7.
