Mother of Brownies pack leader took cash

Beverley Turner, aged 48, ripped off the 5th Cradley Heath Brownies Group by cashing in 16 cheques in just one month from a stolen cheque book.

Cash was spent paying off a variety of debts and bills including £93.50 for car tax at the Post Office and payment to Sky Television, Dudley Magistrates Court heard.

Magistrates were told Turner had taken the cheque book off her daughter Sarah Turner, the Brownies troupe guider leader. The fraud was discovered after the bank account was found to be £800 overdrawn by the group's leaders.

Mrs Rachel Smith, prosecuting, said the amounts were taken between July 7 and August 9.

She added Turner had been "struggling with money" and had been out of work for nine months at the time following an accident.

Magistrates heard the crime began when Beverley Turner had obtained a blank cheque signed by one of the joint group leaders which she used to pay her car tax.

Turner, of Dalvine Road, in Dudley Wood, Netherton, pleaded guilty to four charges of fraud by false representation and asked for a further 12 matters to be taken into consideration.

She also pleaded guilty to one charge of theft of a cheque book at the hearing yesterday.

Chairman of the bench George Booth told Turner she would have a 12-month community sentence and must serve 200 hours unpaid work. She was told she would have to pay back £1,309.90 in compensation to the group and pay £85 court costs.

Mr Paul Selby, defending, said his client showed "genuine remorse" for what she had done.

"She is very anxious to pay back every penny," he said. "She lost her last job two weeks ago but she has been to another interview and will hear about that soon."

Turner declined to comment after the hearing.