Dishonest clerk pinched 22,000 from the Post Office and then claimed she spent it on scratch card

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... t-13574805" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A judge told Roxy Barton he simply didn't believe her story

A dishonest post office clerk claimed she stole more than £22,000 from her bosses to pay off a loan shark - but a judge said he didn’t believe her

Roxy Barton pocketed £22,184 from the sub-post office at Orrell Park, leaving the owners in desperate financial straits.

Barton, who narrowly avoided going to jail in February, was back at Liverpool Crown Court today to face a Proceeds of Crime hearing.

Contesting the hearing, the 35-year old told the court that she started taking money within six weeks of beginning her counter clerk job there because a loan shark was demanding £15,000 from her.

The mum-of-one said she had owed bailiffs £3,000 in 2008 and an acquaintance told her about “Steve”, who offered her £10,000 which she did not need but took anyway.

She said: “I was stupid and took that money. Honestly I just blew it.” She said she took friends out, had weekends away and bought items such as designer clothes and handbags, a sofa and TV.

Barton said she agreed to repay £15,000 at £500 a month but defaulted after the first payment and moved to Fazakerley. But eight years later, in July last year, by which time she was living at her current address in Lunt Avenue, Netherton , Steve knocked on her door and demanded the money.

She said: “He said if he didn’t get the money back he would burn my house down with me and son in it and I had to August to find it.”

Barton claimed that she stole from the Post Office over three months, spending it on scratch cards to try to win enough to put back what she had stolen.

Asked by her barrister Charlotte Kenny if she had any of money left “in any shape or form” she replied: “nothing at all.”


Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Ian Cooper)
The court heard that Barton, who is working in KFC, has so far repaid a total of £1,484 to the post office owners, Aadil and Syeda Bukhara, but has not worked lately because she had to have a biopsy.

She still owes council tax and “embarrassingly” £300 to her son’s school’s breakfast club, and Miss Kenny queried whether she would have allowed that situation to arise if she had hidden assets.

But Judge Alan Conrad, QC, expressed scepticism that it would have taken eight years for the loan shark to have found her and pointed out that she had not mentioned him when arrested.

He said: “I have considered her account and I find it totally unconvincing and I reject her account of borrowing money from a loan shark and reject her account of what the money went on. There is no supporting documentation about where the money went.

“I find she stole it for a more comfortable lifestyle and to repay certain debts.”

He ruled that £14,000 was accounted for with various debt repayments she had made and other outgoings which meant she has £8,200 in hidden assets. He ordered this be confiscated and paid in compensation to Mr and Mrs Bukhara within three months.

She faces three months in prison if she does not pay the money.

When she appeared for sentence earlier this year she received 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years and was also ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activities.