Office worker, 23, stole £29,000 from her boss after complaining about the cost of her 19-mile commute to work

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

An accounts assistant stole £29,000 from her boss after complaining about the cost of her 19 mile commute to work. Rebecca Hassell, 23, pocketed the cash by diverting refunds at a car dealership to her own bank accounts, a court heard.

The thefts were discovered when Hassell quit her job at Oakmere Motor Group in Cheshire citing 'a struggle with money' her mental health and the cost of driving the 35 minute journey from home in Wilmslow where she lived with her grandparents.

Investigations revealed she had attempted to steal a further £18,000 from the Northwich-based company using its card machines.

At Chester Crown Court, where Hassell admitted fraud, Jonathan Jarratt, 48, managing director of his family run dealership said as a result of the thefts, the firm had to spend £4,200 pounds on an audit whilst two staff had to take pay cuts totalling £1,800 on a profit share scheme. READ MORE: Beloved husband and father died on dual carriageway after returning to broken-down car “Rebecca was welcomed to the family was treated as one of our own and was trusted to work in the accounts team,'' said Mr Jarratt. ''But as a result of what she did the company suffered a loss of just under £30,000 in the 2023 financial year. ''As well as various financial impacts on our family run business we cannot underestimate the impact on the culture embedded in the business and staff.