A 'despicable' thief stole £111,000 from a hotel owner who gave her a trusted job then forced her to hand over more money by threatening to take her to an employment tribunal for holiday pay.
Anne Park, who had owned and run the hotel in Northumberland since 1977, had given Charlotte Lowery a chance by employing her and she ended up looking after the finances. But Lowery betrayed the trust placed in her by stealing huge sums to fund her online gambling habit.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Mrs Park, 71, has been left devastated, is being forced to sell her home to make up for the black hole in her finances and her hopes of retiring and leaving a thriving business to her sons are in ruins. Now mother-of-five Lowery, 36, of Willow Close, Lesbury, Alnwick, has been jailed for theft.
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The court heard Mrs Park, who had employed Lowery's mother, gave Lowery a job at the Tankerville Arms Hotel, in Wooler, in 2016, deciding to give her a chance despite her having some personal problems. Her role initially involved general duties in the hotel but when the manager left Lowery's responsibilities increased and involved looking after wages and financial matters and she was "highly trusted".
In 2021 Lowery was on holiday when Mrs Park and her business coach had cause to check the company accounts about a matter concerning wages and they noticed a "strange transfer" or around £2,000 to Lowery.
Emma Dowling, prosecuting, said: "They printed off bank statements and noticed numerous transfers amounting to just over £50,000 at that stage to the defendant, which came as a complete shock. Mrs Park sent a text to the defendant, who was on holiday and the defendant suggested the money may have been used for expenses as they were building some holiday cottages.
"It didn't make sense to Mrs Park and she asked her to come to the hotel to talk about the missing money. She came with her child but left after 20 minutes when asked for evidence to support the unexplained payments. She didn't return after that." Lowery later gave a letter to the business coach for Mrs Park accepting taking the money.
She pleaded guilty to stealing a total of £111,024 between February 2020 and May 2021. Miss Dowling said: "It was money spent on gambling. Some £90,000 was sent to 26 different online gambling sites and £20,076 was used to supplement her income, allowing her to live beyond her means.
"Her legitimate earnings in that period were £28,249. She almost doubled her earnings."
In a victim impact statement, Mrs Park said: "This was committed by a former friend and employee. Charlotte was in a position of trust working in my hotel and when she had her fifth child I would look after the baby while she worked in the hotel."
Mrs Park said that even after the theft was discovered, she had to pay Lowery a further £2,740 in holiday pay after she threatened to take her to an employment tribunal if she didn't. She added: "What sort of person does this when they have already taken all that money?
"I'm having to sell my house. The emotional turmoil has caused ill-health, thinning hair and it's been terribly upsetting.
"I have a disabled son and he has been affected by it. She has devastated me and life is a complete state all the time.
"I'm nearly 72 and hoped to retire, leaving a thriving business to my sons. Instead I will leave them with nothing."
The court heard all the money Lowery stole has gone and she was ordered to pay back a nominal £1 under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Recorder Simon Goldberg KC, jailing her for 28 months, said: "This involved the breach of a high degree of trust and responsibility. Your stealing has had a serious impact on your former employer's business, you have caused emotional distress and she is having to sell her home to cover the loss casued by your actions.
"You actions in threatening employment tribunal proceedings for holiday pay are, frankly, despicable."
Mark Styles, defending, said: "Her personal life was really little short of disastrous at the time. She had a fifth child and went straight back to work and she had a raging addiction at the time, gambling and drugs, principally cocaine and was abusing alcohol too.
"From the position she initially held and could cope with she took on more work and couldn't cope with it and clearly was tempted by the position she was in. She is ashamed of the position she has got herself into."
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