A Scots Asda worker who nicked nearly £50,000 from the National Lottery has been slapped with a seven-month stint behind bars. Melanie Davies, who worked the tills at an Asda branch, admitted to gaming a system glitch to pocket a cool £47,000 in less than a year.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard how Sheriff Gregor Murray had no choice but to lock her up as her scam had chipped away at the public’s faith in the lottery. He declared: “Members of the public are entitled in relation to the National Lottery to have confidence in the way it operates.
“They are entitled to know the sums they provide to the National Lottery benefit charities and other benevolent organisations. The actions you took strike right at the heart of all of that. There can be no alternative to a custodial sentence in the circumstances.”
The crafty cashier managed to grab the loot by bumping up the numbers on winning tickets and scratchcards due to a system fault, reports the Daily Record.
Camelot, the lottery bosses, got wise when they spotted a £10,000 hole in their finances after the system was fixed nearly a year later. The 35-year-old, without any past run-ins with the law, owned up to the £47,000 fraud that ran from August 23, 2022, to July 12, 2023.
The court learned that the money used for lottery bets at Asda was kept separate from the store’s regular cash flow. Staff at the lottery and gaming counter made payouts and detailed the readings of the total cash which had been paid out at the end of each day. Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova told the court: “The staff are tasked with presenting the totals of the payouts to Camelot.
“However, there was a technical glitch which resulted in a loss of visibility between Camelot and the store. Access was restored and a discrepancy of £10,000 appeared. Thereafter, daily receipts were requested and submitted to the cash office in hard copy.
“They were prepared by the Asda lottery kiosk and Camelot began to notice a variance in figures from the store when they were comparing it to Camelot.”
Davies, from Scott Street in Brechin, was nicked for skimming the till while on shift. The defence solicitor Gary McIlravey argued that she’s been coughing up £20 a month to Asda and vowed to repay more once she gets a full-time job post-college. He warned: “I have explained that given the quantum of monies involved, my Lord has to consider a custodial sentence.”
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The lawyer mentioned her “particularly difficult period” and read some glowing character references. The sheriff stated: “She has undertaken substantial work herself to address a clear, underlying issue. She knows the matter is not over and will hang over her head for a period of time.”
Davies initially appeared on petition, however, the charge was reduced to summary procedure, carrying a maximum 12-month prison sentence. Sheriff Murray continued: “I take account of the very significant steps you have taken and the background so, exceptionally, I assess the headline sentence as 10 months restricted to seven months.”
Davies pleaded guilty to taking £47,000 – a reduced figure after the Crown accepted her plea. She was initially accused of taking over £52,000.
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