Assistant bank boss stole £18k from work

AN assistant bank manager from Swansea has admitted stealing nearly £18,000 from her employers.

Suzanne Butler was caught after using a cash machine at her own branch to hide her crime.

The 47-year-old took the money from the Halifax bank in Carmarthen in a period of just over a month between December 10, 2016, and January 19 last year.

Butler, of Goetre Bellaf Road, Dunvant, Swansea, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by employee when she appeared before Llanelli Magistrates’ Court.

Prosecutor Sian Vaughan said Butler had stolen cash to the value of £17,900 belonging to Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Halifax.

Mrs Vaughan added: “She was an assistant branch manager at the relevant time of the offending. Essentially, cash was being taken from the ATM machine and used to balance the float.”

Mrs Vaughan went on to say that the offence was too serious in nature to be dealt with at magistrates’ court level.

Defence solicitor Laura Sherwood told the court that her client “made a full admission that money from the ATM was being used to replace money she had taken from the float”.

She added the stolen money from the Lammas Street branch was being used to cover shopping spending costs by Butler.

No futher details were given about the offending and district judge Richard Williams adjourned the case for sentencing at Swansea Crown Court on Friday, March 23.

Butler was granted unconditional bail until that date.