A woman who stole more than £15,000 from work to pay for her gambling addiction has walked free from court.
Lorraine Fincham, of St Mark's Road, Canvey, was given a 100-hour community penalty after admitting 15 counts of stealing money from a catering machine at Lloyds TSB offices in Southchurch Road, Southend.
The 37-year-old assistant catering manager asked Basildon Crown Court for ten other counts to be considered. Prosecutor Christopher Paxton said Fincham was caught when she was seen acting suspiciously near the machine. She was sacked.
She admitted gambling on fruit machines was her downfall, added Mr Paxton.
He said she was spending up to £100 a day to feed the addiction which her husband did not know about until just before her arrest.
Her barrister Rina-Marie Hill said Fincham had been hooked on betting since she was 18. She had joined Gamblers' Anonymous.
She said the family was plunged into debt, and faced the prospect of losing their £140,000 home due to council tax and other arrears.
Published Thursday August 26, 2004
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