A Shropshire mother-of-two stole more than £11,000 from her employer in a bid to stop her home being repossessed, a court heard.

Bridget Morgan stole £11,422.56 in instalments from Pontesbury Medical Practice between April 1, 2008, and April 2, 2009.

Morgan, 39, of Willow Park, Minsterley, admitted a charge of theft at a previous hearing, but appeared at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday for sentencing.

Judge Nicholas Mitchell sentenced Morgan to 26 weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, and ordered her to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work.

She must also pay back a nominal £1 sum to the practice.

Judge Mitchell told Morgan: “You were in a position of trust and you abused this and your colleagues for 12 months.”

Mr Stephen Bacon, prosecuting, said Morgan began working at the practice in 2002 and received a promotion to administration manager in 2006.

“As part of the job she would pay cash into the bank for prescriptions,” he told the court.

“In March this year, the management of the practice noticed that things were not right with the account and asked to see bank statements and the paying in book, which Morgan was in charge of.”

Mr Bacon, added: “Morgan told the manager that they were at her home and she would be bringing them in the next day.

“However, she called in sick and when she next came into work she again told them she had forgotten it.

“Soon however, things began to catch up with her and a meeting between Morgan and the doctors was called, where she told them what she had done.”

Morgan was arrested and interviewed where she admitted she had taken the money in a bid to pay her mortgage and stop her home being repossessed.

The practice manager went through the books and the amount missing was £11,422.56, giving the benefit of doubt on some payments.

Mr Jonathan Veasey-Pugh, for Morgan, said that she was in deep debt at the time of the offence and had since lost her job at the practice and many of her friends.

He said she now had a new job and would attempt to move on with her life.

By Andrew Morris