AN ASSISTANT building society manageress helped herself to cash from the automatic dispensing machine over a two-and-a-half year period.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Janet Tucker, 40, stole nearly £1,000 and the offences had been committed shortly before her annual holidays.

Stipendiary magistrate Jonathon Finestein said that despite the fact that Tucker had no previous convictions and had already suffered enormously as a result of the offences, he had no option but to send her to prison immediately.

"It saddens me to pass this sentence but you will go to prison today," said Mr Finestein.

"The public must know and people in employment such as yours must know, that when you steal, prison will follow.

"Prison to you will be a wretched time but I have to impose that sentence to mark the seriousness of the offence," he added.

Tucker, of Rutland Avenue, Blackburn, had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two charges of theft from the Britannia Building Society and asked for three others to be taken into consideration. She was sentenced to 14 days in prison, of which she will serve seven.

Paula Grogan, prosecuting, said an internal investigation was set up when it became apparent that money was going missing. Amounts of cash had been taken just prior to Tucker's annual holiday in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

She was interviewed in an internal disciplinary hearing in September last year after which she was suspended from duty and the police informed.

Miss Grogan said a total of £980 had been stolen.

Simon Farnsworth, defending, said there was no apparent motive for the thefts.

He said Tucker was a woman of good character who had worked for the Britannia Building Society for eight years and for its predecessor the Derbyshire Building Society.

"She has no real explanation other than that she was under pressure at work," said Mr Farnsworth.

"The branch was under-staffed and she was frequently left in charge.

"Over the years she was there, my client handled millions of pounds and never succumbed to temptation."

Mr Farnsworth said Tucker, a mother-of-two and grandmother, was now working as a cleaner in a retirement home earning a third of her former salary.

"The degree of suffering she and her family have already gone through, you may feel is enough without sending her to prison," said Mr Farnsworth.

"She has got to 40 without committing any offences and there is no risk of her committing any offences in the future."

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