Shady: Lisa Johnston nearly drove a family business to the wall after stealing £25,830 worth of lottery scratch cards over the space of six months
A shop assistant who nearly drove a family business to bankruptcy after stealing £25,830 worth of lottery scratch cards over the space of six months has been ordered to continue paying back her ill-gotten gains.
Lisa Johnston has been paying back former employer Christopher Young at a rate of £300 a month for the last two years, on top of an initial £600 down payment.
The 37-year-old has previously admitted three specimen counts of theft and one of fraud at Durham Crown Court after stealing lottery scratch cards from Mr Young’s store in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, between September 2013 and March 2014.
Johnston has had a prison sentence hanging over her as an incentive to keep up the monthly payments but she has now been handed a suspended sentence after a court heard she still owes £8,000.
Returning to court on the second anniversary of the initial sentencing hearing, Judge Christopher Prince imposed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
The judge also made a compensation order, compelling her to keep paying £300 per month, by way of a collection order overseen by the magistrates’ court.
Johnston was caught out after staff at Tesco in Newton Aycliffe grew suspicious of her repeatedly cashing in winning lottery tickets without buying any at the store.
At Durham Crown Court (pictured) Johnston was ordered to continue paying back her ill-gotten gains
When one Tesco employee saw Johnston behind the till at Young’s premises, he discovered the lottery terminal number for the newsagents matched the next tickets she presented at Tesco.
Mr Young was aware of mounting problems with his business for some time and held staff meetings, which Johnston attended, without owning up for her actions.
In her defence, Simon Perkins told the court Johnston would try to clear the debt as soon as possible.
She was said to have used the winnings from the stolen lottery tickets to repay debts after she sold her house, which was in negative equity.
Her actions were said to have put Mr Young’s business, including a shop in Wetherby, North Yorkshire, under threat, and with it the potential loss of 30 jobs.