Post Office clerk from Wells stole 5k from employer in 'blatant' doomed to fail theft

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A Post Office counter clerk from Wells stole more than £5,000 from her employer in a theft which was so obvious she would never have got away with it, a court heard.

Twenty-five year old Tara Hollingshead created fictitious cheques which she paid in to herself and then withdrew the cash to pay off debts, Taunton Crown Court was told.

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Hollingshead, of Everetts Close, Wells, was employed at Shepton Mallet Post Office – described by her barrister as "a small Post Office" – and had "limited training". She admitted two offences of theft and Joseph Wright, defending, said they were quickly detected.

"It was a blatant offence and there was no way it could ever have success", he added. She had debts including mobile phone contracts which had not been paid and she took money to start paying them off. He said there were references to depression and "she had bottled-up what was going on".

He added that she was now unemployed, living with her mother and "terrified of going to prison". She had shown genuine remorse.

Recorder Frank Abbott said it was a serious and mean offence. Everyone had an interest in the Post Office. He added: "In Shepton Mallet, everyone would hope the Post Office would succeed.

"The wellbeing of the Post Office should be guaranteed and you did not do that; you thought 'I have a way of getting money out by putting in fictitious cheques'. It's clever and opportunistic. You have various problems of your own and it seems to me you ought to be paying back the community."

Hollingshead was sentenced to nine months, suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation requirement of 30 days and was also ordered to do 160 hours unpaid work with a tagged curfew from 8pm to 6 am.