An Essex woman has escaped jail because of the Lord Chief Justice's direction to ease overcrowding.

Marks and Spencer's employee Yemi Ogunoshun, 20, of Ransomes Way, Chelmsford, was spared a prison sentence after crediting her bank cards with almost £5,000 of the store's money.

She appeared at London's Southwark Crown Court yesterday, where she admitted six charges of obtaining a money transfer by deception between July 27 and August 4 last year, and was ordered to complete 80 hours' community service and pay £600 compensation.

The court heard how Ogunoshun had wiped out personal debt by entering a series of fictional refunds in the menswear department but narrowly escaped jail despite admitting the six unlawful transactions totalling £4,380.

Judge Christopher Elwen told the Business Studies student she was saved from prison by the directive from the Lord Chief Justice, to jail as few offenders as possible to ease overcrowding.

Jason Sugarman, prosecuting, said the defendant had been employed at Marks and Spencer in Finsbury Park, north London, from February last year as a till supervisor.

He said: "While she worked at the store, she used the till station to make a number of transactions which refunded her credit and debit cards, two of which were found on her when arrested.

Mitigating, Soraya Lawrence said: "Clearly she is aware of the very serious nature of the offences and is most keen to show what sort of person she is."

Published Thursday, March 14, 2002