Shop worker stole £30,000 from Abergavenny chemist (From South Wales Argus)

Shop worker stole £30,000 from Abergavenny chemist

9:40am Friday 6th April 2012 in News

AN ABERGAVENNY woman admitted stealing more than £30,000 from the family-owned pharmacy where she worked.

Sarah Davies, 44, appeared at Newport Crown Court yesterday where she pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of false accounting, spread over more than two years.

Davies stole a total of £33,758.52 while she worked at H Shackleton Ltd in Abergavenny.

She took the money between January 1, 2009, and October 27, 2011, and admitted false accounting between October 7, 2011, and October 19, 2011.

Prosecutor John Probert told the court that Davies, of Laundry Place, stole £1,495.33 in 2009, £8,086.16 in 2010 and £24,177.03 in 2011.

The court heard the thefts took place when Davies made false refunds while at work and Mr Probert described the amounts as very substantial sums of money.

Defending, Stephen Thomas said the guilty pleas were entered on the basis that one per cent of the totals in the indictment were legitimate refunds.

Mr Thomas said Davies made full and frank admissions and fully accepted her guilt.

Mr Probert said the prosecution accepted they were occasions when refunds put in the system by Davies were genuine.

Judge Philip Richards said: “It’s plain on the admissions from the defendant her wrongdoing was on a very significant scale.”

Sentencing was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.

Davies was granted conditional bail until she is sentenced on May 21.