Mum stole £4,700 from firm to pay for secret cocaine addiction

A MUM stole £4,700 from the supply company she worked for to fund a secret cocaine habit.

Nicola Parker, 40, worked on the sales team for Oldham-based Trade Composite, when a contractor placed an order with her for some decking for a caravan park.

After making a payment of £4,701 for the items the contractor became concerned when they weren’t delivered, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

When checking directly with the company he discovered no order had been placed. Faced with an angry customer, he had to pay £5,000 out of his own pocket in order to complete the contract.

Her employer was then made aware of the situation after he was sent pictures of Parker’s bank details which had been given to the contractor instead.

The company has now gone out of business.

Parker, of Failsworth, pleaded guilty to dishonestly making a false representation to make a gain for herself and was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.

In mitigation, her defence lawyer Mark Harper said: “There is genuine remorse and she has volunteered to make repayments – she is on Universal Credit.

“She used the money to support a cocaine habit that she had hidden from family and friends.

“It weighs heavily on her, she has two children and her marriage broke down partly due to the offence.”

Sentencing her, Judge Mark Savill said: “You were employed by a small business – they are the organisations that suffer most greatly from dishonesty by employees as they are less able to absorb the cost.

“You were given the opportunity to repay the money and you didn’t, it caught up with you.”

Parker of Norman Street, Failsworth, was ordered to complete 200 hours unpaid work, 20 days of rehabilitation, and must abide by an electronic curfew for three months between 7pm and 7am. She was also ordered to pay back the money at £30 per month.