Sentence for shopaholic who stole £60,000 from Bulwell bank where she worked

Sarah Sutcliffe stole £4,950, on August 14, 2019, £15,000 on December 12, 2019, and £40,000 on November 25, 2021, from Lloyds bank, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

Sutcliffe, of Dunvegan Drive, Nottingham, admitted three counts of theft from her employer and converting criminal property.

Judge Steven Coupland told the mum-of-two she “used it to settle debts, pay off credit card bills and buy shopping which by this time had become an addiction”.

He said some of the cash was paid into the 38-year-old’s bank account and some of it was “hidden”, but £16,000 is still unaccounted for.

“It wasn’t just the loss of the money from the bank,” he told her. “The bank spent considerable time and money trying to work out where it went.

“And it was inevitable suspicion should fall on your colleagues.”

But the judge said Sutcliffe has “a good deal of mitigation”, because she is of previous good character and there has been no offending since that time.

He said: “The references I have heard make it plain this was out of character and supports what the probation service says: you are unlikely to come back before the courts.

“You suffered from ill-health and a number of life events drove you to become depressed and addicted to shopping.

“You have since sought psychiatric help and you have done your best to start paying some of this money back.

“You admitted to your employer and the police and the court when you could. This delay has had a significant effect on your mental health.

“The idea of a sentence of imprisonment to you must be petrifying. It’s plain to me that you are very remorseful for what you did.

“What you did plainly crosses the custody threshold, but I am prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt today.”

He handed her a 14-month prison term, suspended for the next 12 months. A hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act to retrieve the outstanding money was set for December 1.