Mother jailed for PO fraud

A Shropshire mother-of-three was today jailed for 18 months for swindling the Post Office out of more than £80,000.

Tina May Elizabeth Doughty, 43, sub-postmistress at Cleobury North Post Office, paid money into her bank account to prop up her business and to pay off huge tax bills, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard.

Judge Nicholas Mitchell told her: "That is no excuse. You were thoroughly dishonest. You were in a position of trust and systematically siphoned off £80,000 over the best part of a year."

Doughty had earlier admitted defrauding the Post Office out of £80,563 by making false representations and transactions between January and November last year.

Mr Richard Cole, prosecuting, said Doughty, who lived in a flat above the shop, was suspended from her job after an auditor uncovered the fraud in November.

Mr Cole said Doughty had been frank with investigators, admitting taking money and making payments into her bank account with the chip and PIN machine at her post office.

More than £1,000 cash was seized from the family flat but Doughty had not repaid any of the missing money and £78,906 was still outstanding.

For Doughty, Mr Adam Western said: "She had suddenly received an unexpected large VAT bill which had to be repaid immediately. She had also used the money to prop up this failing business."