A Tauranga woman, whose personal problems led to a shopping addiction and then to stealing cash from her employer, has been sentenced to 300 hours' community work.
Esther Mary Brown, 27, shop assistant, pleaded guilty before Judge Ian Thomas in Tauranga District Court today to a single charge of theft.
Prosecutor Sergeant Roy Blomkamp said Brown was a long term employee at Animates in Tauranga and had been appointed store manager in early 2006.
Between May last year and January this year she stole varying amounts of cash totalling just over $15,750 - which she was ordered by the judge to repay.
When police spoke to her in April, Brown said she had personal problems during 2007 and began stealing the cash about midyear.
She claimed to have developed a shopping addiction as a result of her other problems because it made her "feel good".
Her estimate of what she had stolen from her employer was "a couple of thousand dollars".
Brown had devised a system whereby she would complete a false return for a stock item and claim the cash refund as her own, Mr Blomkamp said.
She did this "a few times a week".
Senior management was alerted to her actions by other staff and the area manager spoke to her about the discrepancies in January.
Defence lawyer Glenn Barnett said his client had made a full confession, co-operated with police and was deeply remorseful.
She wanted to put the matter behind her, including paying off the full amount of reparation in the next few months.
"It was a life-defining moment for this young woman," Mr Barnett said.
"She has not previously been before the court and is unlikely to again."
Judge Thomas accepted that the process had had a "huge impact" on Brown but said it was serious dishonesty offending, which always cast doubt about the unexplained losses on other employees.
