...Saul was given a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours unpaid work by Judge Catherine Newman, QC, who admitted her sentence was “wholly exceptional” and fell outside sentencing guidelines.
The judge told Southwark Crown Court yesterday: “I’m taking a considerable risk that the Crown will think it lenient and appeal, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
How nice for you!
Lucie Daniels, defending Saul, had argued she was “shaken” by the loss of her grandmother in 2013 and was a committed charity worker.
I lost my grandmother, didn't begin a gambling 'addiction' and rip off my boss. How about you, reader?
The court heard Saul used her role as office manager to create fake invoices to pay cash into her own bank account before switching the details to avoid detection.
She was only caught when she went on maternity leave in December 2016 and a new chief financial office took over and spotted hundreds of fake invoices.
Not just a spur of the moment thing, then?
Judge Newman said she was on the brink of giving her a sentence of three years and four months, before being persuaded she was unfit for prison.
Ms Newman said: “It has caused considerable harm to your employer which could ill afford to lose such a substantial sum, but thankfully survived. Your grandmother’s death rocked the stability of your hitherto good citizenship.
“You had a steady partner who had no idea of your gambling addiction and stands by you. I’m prepared to take the wholly exceptional course of reducing your sentence and suspend it.”
Ah, if only it was 'wholly exceptional'. In fact, it's so common that there's a term for it...
She was ordered to pay just £360 costs, a little over £10 for every £1000 she stole from her company.
Perhaps when they review the sentence, they could consider making the
judge serve it too?
I've recently found out that anyone can question a sentence. They don't even have to be involved in the case and the case will be looked at.
ReplyDeleteSurely the company has questioned this? After all everyone complains when some twitter user doesn't get executed.
The worst part is the pathetic self-dramatisation of it all. What 'considerable risk' is she actually taking? Being criticized by the press? Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't think that if the Daily Mail criticised her, she wouldn't be excitedly forwarding it to all her colleagues with 2 seconds flat?
ReplyDeleteIdeal Plod material?
ReplyDeleteSo, let me see...
ReplyDeleteI feel a bit cheated by life. You know, I've always thought I was worth a bit more than I've ended up with and you know, I'd like some more money anyway, to fund that lifestyle I've always thought was my due. So then, I can nick a third of a mill off my employer who were always a tight-arsed bunch anyway and never paid me my worth and...and...and GET AWAY WITH IT????? Blimey, no wonder we are in a fix as a nation...
:o)
"I lost my grandmother, didn't begin a gambling 'addiction' and rip off my boss. How about you, reader?"
ReplyDeleteAll four of my grandparents are now gone and I lost my dad after watching him being slowly destroyed by Parkinson's Disease. Maybe I should have carried out a few bank robberies since I already had a pre-packaged excuse. The lack of proper reparations for this kind of thing is the thing that annoys me the most. To my mind, the convicted person should have to repay every penny that they stole, even if it takes them the rest of their lives. Whenever they complain they should be reminded that they have no one to blame but themselves.
Stonyground
Cant we just stamp out more Cherie Bliars? In fact, hundreds of the wasters with flats in Bristol wanted.
ReplyDelete"Surely the company has questioned this? "
ReplyDeleteI would!
"The worst part is the pathetic self-dramatisation of it all. What 'considerable risk' is she actually taking?"
Precisely! No consequences for her.
"The lack of proper reparations for this kind of thing is the thing that annoys me the most. To my mind, the convicted person should have to repay every penny that they stole, even if it takes them the rest of their lives. "
Spot on!