Worksop: Woman jailed for stealing from employer must pay back £20,000

Diane Hunt, 46, stole goods worth around £25,000 while working at Gregorys in Baxter Gate, Doncaster, and then sold the designer leather items on eBay.

Of the 870 items she stole from the family-run business, 370 were sold on eBay and the remaining 500 items were recovered from Hunt’s home at Hemmingfield Rise in Worksop.

When she was arrested, Hunt admitted the thefts and around £500 in cash was seized from her. She was later charged with one count of theft and one count of money laundering, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Hunt was jailed for 18 months when she appeared at Sheffield Crown Court in July.

Officers at South Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit then began action against her under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Last week, Sheffield Crown Court made a confiscation order against Hunt, stating that she had an available amount of £19,610, which should be awarded to Gregorys within the next six months.

Graham Wragg, manager of the Economic Crime Unit, said: “Retailers are struggling to survive in this economic downturn so to find a trusted employee stealing from you cannot help.”

“South Yorkshire Police were able to gather sufficient evidence to convict Diane Hunt and have then used the Proceeds of Crime Act to allow the court to make a compensation order against Hunt in order to repay Gregorys.”

The Proceeds of Crime Act was introduced in order to deprive criminals of the benefit from their crimes.

As well as being used to compensate victims of crime, cash and assets recovered through the act can be used to fund community projects and other police operations to target criminals.