A sales assistant who bought shopping and clothes using card details of from the customers of a Carlisle florists has been spared immediate prison.
Kellie Anne Harper, 32, worked at Flowers Same Day for almost two years during which time her tasks included taking orders over the phone.
But between November 2019 and August 2020, amid a failing relationship and financial hardship, Harper — a mother, now of three young children — turned to theft.
Four times she ordered flowers for relatives without making any payment, generating bogus invoices in a desperate bid to cover her tracks. But over many months, Harper used card details she had logged from customers to buy goods for herself.
There were nine victims of her fraud, Carlisle Crown Court heard today.
One woman alerted by a financial investigator noted at least 20 fraudulent transactions on her account during one month alone, and had almost £2,000 stolen from her in total. Other victims reported seeing unauthorised withdrawals, one becoming aware of Harper’s offending when noting payment approval requests on her mobile banking app.
Goods were bought from Asda, Tui, Zara, Dunelm, Sports Direct and a toy shop.
In total, Harper, of Knells Farm, Houghton, had made attempts to steal more than £10,000. The money she actually took was just under £8,000.
She tendered her resignation and offered apologies to the business, but had denied wrongdoing in a first interview with police. However, she later admitted seven charges — one of fraud by abuse of position and six of fraud by making false representations.
The court heard she had one previous caution for theft from employer in 2010.
Jeff Smith, defending, said Harper was suffering financial hardship but hadn’t wanted to burden her mother at a time when she had her own personal difficulties, instead turning to “appalling and unforgivable” offending.
“She regarded the people she worked for as friends and family,” said Mr Smith. “The remorse that Kellie Harper feels for what she is done is genuine and heartfelt.”
Judge Nicholas Barker concluded that Harper was capable of mending her ways. He suspended a 10-month prison sentence for 18 months, and ordered her to complete rehabilitation work with the probation service.
People had ordered flowers from Harper to mark occasions of both celebration and bereavement, said Judge Barker.
He added: “There is a double aspect of distress caused to the complainants in this case as well as the business itself.”
