A former cashier with a Yorkshire firm has been barred after helping herself to thousands from the office account.
According to an SRA decision notice, Jenny Spink joined Pudsey Legal Services in March 2020 and subsequently made five transfers to her own bank account before leaving two years later.
The firm subsequently discovered that money was missing and reported the matter to the police and SRA. Investigators found that she had moved £4,650 in total, starting within months of starting work as a legal cashier.
In May this year, she pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and was handed a 12-month jail term, suspended for 18 months. She was also ordered to undertake a rehabilitation activity for 15 days and unpaid work for 175 hours. The court ordered Spink to pay compensation of £4,650.
It was reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post that Spink had admitted to having a secret gambling addiction and that she had been struggling to pay for everyday items.
A statement from the firm’s partners, read out in court, said: ‘Her actions in taking the money and covering up her crime have left our accounts in a poor state. We have had to unravel her deception ourselves.
‘We have had to personally replace the money taken by Jenny. We have all suffered stress and sleepless nights due to Jenny’s actions. She abused a position of trust. She was well aware of what she was doing.’
The SRA acknowledged that Spink had admitted her conduct at an early stage and that she had personal problems which caused her to act out of character.
But there remained a risk that she may act in a similar way in future. The SRA added: ‘Ms Spink’s role, as a legal cashier, relied on honesty and integrity. Part of her day to day role involved handling and processing cash, cheques, and bank transfers. She was therefore in a position of trust within the firm.’
She was given a section 43 order, preventing her from working for any regulated firm without SRA permission. Spink also agreed to pay £300 costs.
