A FORMER florist who stole over £10,000 from customers’ bank accounts avoided jail yesterday.

Helen Lewis, 50, ran Flowers by Helen on Commercial Street in Tredegar - but over 11 days earlier this year she took money from five people’s bank accounts.

Some of her victims had used her shop while they were bereaved and were buying flowers for relatives’ funerals, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

One customer who bought items worth £35.99 had been shocked to find Lewis, of Plas Yr Eglwys in Pontypridd, had taken a further £3,590 from his account.

In total she stole £10,323.99.

In three cases, Lewis stole from accounts twice.

She had earlier admitted eight counts of fraud, committed between March 27 and April 7, at Gwent Magistrates’ Court on September 8.

According to victims’ statements read out by prosecutor Eugene Egan they had chosen to buy flowers from Lewis’ businesses specifically because they wanted to support a local trader.

But on confronting Lewis about her account being charged far more than she had agreed to pay, one woman was told by the businesswoman that the transaction was a mistake and was her bank’s doing.

Currently Lewis is in receipt of jobseekers’ allowance and is unable to pay back any of what she stole.

Defending, Timothy Evans acknowledged Lewis was 'bound to be found out'.

He added: “She can’t fathom why on earth she did it. It is nonsensical.”

Mr Evans added Lewis had helped Gwent Police with their investigation into her crimes and that she had expressed remorse for what she had done.

“When she became aware the police wanted to speak to her she went to the police station to make submissions,” he said.

“She would love to be able to pay back these people. She recognises what she did was wrong.”

Judge Daniel Williams told Lewis that the severity of her frauds meant that a 26 week jail term was required - but that he would suspend it for 18 months, taking into account she had admitted the offences.

He told her: “You must understand the customers wanted to support your business - and this is what they did to support you when they had suffered enough.”

Lewis must also undertake 250 hours of unpaid work.