Fraudster's appeal is rejected

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A ST Paul’s Cathedral worker jailed for using church funds to acquire more than £58,000 of stamps has had her appeal rejected.

The 44-year-old from Brixham sold the stamps on eBay for half their face value.

The Appeal Court judges in London dismissed the appeal despite hearing about Alison Robinson’s ‘tragic’ personal life. At the time of the offences she was caring for her elderly parents and was ‘a prisoner in her own home’.

Robinson, was assistant manager at St Paul’s Cathedral gift shop for more than 17 years. She was jailed for eight months at Southwark Crown Court in February after admitting obtaining the stamps by deception.

Robinson, of Wishings Road, had moved to Devon to start a new life with her husband. She had placed a series of orders for a total of 56,000 Royal Mail worldwide stamps while working at the gift shop.


But her offences were uncovered when accounts discrepancies came to light following her departure from the shop in 2007, London’s Appeal Court heard.

Mr Justice Royce, sitting with Lord Justice Maurice Kay and Mr Justice Nicol, said Robinson sold the stamps on eBay for half their retail value.

She was genuinely shocked when told their true worth.

Robinson said she was under intense pressure when she committed her offences — her parents with whom she lived having both died in 2006.

She spent the cash from the stamps on household care for her parents before their deaths, and on heavy funeral expenses. She felt ‘completely lost’ at the time, the court heard.

Dafne Spriro, for Robinson, said she had lived a bizarre life before their deaths, almost a ‘prisoner in her own home’, who was ‘prevented from living her own life until after her parents died’.

Ms Spiro argued that the sentencing judge should have passed a suspended prison term given the ‘exceptional’ circumstances of the case.

But Mr Justice Royce concluded that her eight-month term could be considered ‘merciful’ given the high value items involved.

“Although we recognise that this was in many respects a tragic case, we are not persuaded that we should interfere with the sentence passed,” he said, dismissing her appeal.