The shame of 'trusted' cashier

Elaine Astley, 49, pleaded guilty to the new allegations a week into a trial at Burnley Crown Court, where she had originally been charged with 23 counts of theft from the bank accounts of the then JV Pilling and Co, Bacup.

Judge Barbara Watson discharged the jury from returning verdicts on the theft allegations and bailed Astley, of Phillips Road, Weir, until the week of February 18 for sentence at Preston Crown Court.

The jury had heard claims the defendant had made out signed blank cheques, cashed them and pocketed the proceeds while considered a valuable employee at J V Pilling and Co.

She was then said to have falsified entries in the firm's business records or not to have made entries at all.

Astley was originally alleged by the prosecution to have taken large amounts of cash home rather than banking it so it would not be traced back to her and to have destroyed an old computer and various accounting records.

An earlier hearing this month heard how Astley had worked for JV Pilling and Co for about six years and was regarded by Brian Walsh -- the only solicitor at JV Pilling and Co -- as an honest and valuable employee. He often left her signed blank cheques for the firm's bank accounts. But, the prosecution had said, between May 1998 and March 2000 Astley abused that trust and systematically stole the cheques.

The prosecution yesterday claimed Astley had been caught out when JV Pilling and Co merged with Woodcock and Sons, another local firm of solicitors, in February 2000, and the books did not balance.

The court had been told how Mr Walsh had trusted the defendant implicitly. At first he did not believe she had done anything wrong when the figures would not add up.

Speaking after the trial Mr Walsh, who works at the Bacup branch of the company, in Irwell Terrace, said: "I am satisfied that the defendant made an admission of guilt."

He refused to comment further until sentencing had been passed.