Wrexham,North Wales - Morrisons team manager stole more than £1,500 of charity cash from Wrexham store

Published date: 21 December 2015 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A WOMAN stole more than £1,500 from her employer which was earmarked for charities.

Joanne Devey, 43, of Bodlyn, Acrefair, abused her position as a team manager at Morrisons in Wrexham to defraud the store of £1,675 in vouchers meant for schools and charities.

Appearing at Wrexham Magistrates Court, she pleaded guilty to the fraud, which took place between December 28, 2014, and November 10 this year.

Prosecutor Rhian Jones described how Devey, who was in charge of the administration of the vouchers, used them for herself.

She said: “The defendant was a team manager with responsibility for the administation of gift requests for charities and organisations and vouchers to charities.

“She issued vouchers but kept them for her own use at stores in Saltney, Oswestry and Wrexham to purchase groceries.” 

Ms Jones said the store undertook an in-house probe and as a result, Devey was suspended before resigning from her position in November, after admitting the fraud and the length of time it had been going on for.

The court heard Morrisons earmarked £200 a month for the vouchers and Devey’s fraud accounted for 75 per cent of the charity budget.

Euros Jones, defending said Devey, a married mother of adult children, was motivated by financial difficulties.

He said: “It is an understatement to say she’s absolutely devastated.

“The family was struggling financially, it was a foolish decision which snowballed to the extent of £1,635.

“She has gone voluntarily to the police and admitted everything.

“The irony is, having taken money which was going to charity, she will now be undertaking unpaid work, likely to be in a charity shop.”

Magistrate Geoff Bull described Devey’s actions as a “serious breach of trust.”

He said: “It is a serious breach of trust, taking from a pot of money destined for charity and that is an aggravating feature.”

Devey was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

She will pay the full amount stolen in compensation to Morrisons, as well as £85 costs, and a £60 victim surcharge.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/156372/morrisons-team-manager-stole-more-than-1-500-of-charity-cash-from-wrexham-store.aspx