A WOMAN caught stealing £5,000 from the Specsavers store she managed told a judge she racked up a credit card debt after sending money to help her mum.

Jenny-Lynne Nessworthy, 45, was caught on covert cameras swiping the cash from the till at the Braintree branch.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard staff had noticed some suspicious activity surrounding refunds.

Cameras were installed in November 2020 and a report was compiled by a financial risk support consultant.

He found Nessworthy, the store manager, had processed £5,790 in bogus refunds.

Reviewing the footage, the investigator found she had processed transactions through the till without a customer present, removing cash and placing it inside her bag.

Nessworthy, of Summerfields, Sible Hedingham, was called in for a voluntary interview with the police on August 6 last year.

She confessed to carrying out the theft.

Appearing before Judge Patricia Lynch QC, she admitted one charge of theft from an employer.

Representing herself in court, Nessworthy said she was “mortified and embarrassed” and wanted to pay the money back.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, I’m not going to make any excuses for it because obviously I’ve done this,” she said.

“I would like to make amends for it.”

She confirmed to the judge at the time she had run up debts on credit cards and through a loan.

“I needed the cash to help my mum and it just spiralled out of control,” she said.

“Mum had a stroke and she was in Cambodia at the time and she didn’t have any medical insurance, so she needed cash to get to Thailand.

“This was years ago and I put everything, all my shopping and everything, on a credit card so I could send money to my mum. From then on it just spiralled.”

Judge Lynch said: “I’m satisfied you know your actions were wrong, I’m satisfied you are truly remorseful.”

She said a probation officer could support Nessworthy in managing her debt.

Nessworthy was sentenced to a 12 month community order, with a condition to complete a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement.

She must pay £4,000 in compensation to Specsavers.

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