Benefit fraudster stole from charity to clothe children

A WOMAN who stole more than £1,000 from an Edinburgh charity shop she helped run has avoided jail.

Alexis Hughes, 40, took money from the till of the Marie Curie cancer shop in Lothian Road after struggling to clothe her children.

Hughes, who was the shop's assistant manager, had also been claiming benefits while she worked.

Today, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, the mum escaped a prison sentence despite admitting embezzlement and benefit fraud.

Hughes took up a voluntary job for the charity but later became assistant manager of the branch.

Despite receiving a £450-a-month salary, she kept claiming income support for almost a year, conning tax-payers out of £3,942.

Hughes used her position at the shop to steal £1,168.50 between 24 and 26 May 2006.

Instead of depositing the shops takings in the company's bank account after cashing up, she pocketed the money herself.

Police were called after Hughes walked into the shop and handed over her keys to a colleague, saying "I've done something terrible."

Managers had told Hughes they would not report her if she paid back the cash in instalments of £25, but she missed payments and they were forced to call in police.

Hughes claimed she had paid back most of the money to the shop but admitted she had made no efforts to pay back the benefits system, which she conned between October 2005 and August 2006.

Her solicitor, Cameron Tait, said his client had suffered from psychological problems and was having difficulty in putting clothes on her children's back when she stole the cash.

Mr Tait added she had paid back £600 to Marie Curie and was arranging to pay the rest back at £5 per week.

Hughes wept in the dock as Sheriff Noel McPartlin told her she would not be going to jail.

He said: "It is clear you recognise the seriousness of the offence and I don't think it is appropriate to look at a custodial sentence."

Sheriff McPartlin sentenced her to 200 hours of community service and a one year probation order.