A GREEDY mother pilfered thousands of pounds from the casino where she worked.

Caroline Maguire created fake winners’ tickets to steal from the safe at the Rendezvous Casino at Brighton Marina, where she was employed as a cashier for ten years.

The 51-year-old wanted to pay off bills and payday loan debts, but then “got greedy” and took nearly £50,000 to live a more expensive lifestyle.

She was considered a trusted employee who was well liked and respected by management.

But her theft was exposed when they realised there was a big loss and began an inquiry.

She tried to blame a colleague, then decided not to attend a disciplinary, so she was sacked for gross misconduct.

At Lewes Crown Court yesterday she admitted theft by an employee, and was handed a 16-month suspended prison sentence.

The court was told that mother-of-two Maguire had not told her husband or children about the case against her, despite facing a prison sentence.

Stefan Hyman, prosecuting, said £49,000 was taken between July 2017 and May last year, where she used “hand pay” tickets to create a record of false winnings, and then took the money from the safe.

He said: “When she was first approached about the loss, she did suggest it might have been another colleague, shortly afterwards she was suspended.

“At one point she took £4,000 per month. She admitted to officers she had been greedy.

“She said she felt stupid, she had ruined a perfectly good job, and let other people down.”

Previously Judge Jeremy Gold QC ordered £6,000 to be frozen from her account, and she now faces court proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act to claw back as much money as possible to compensate for her crime.

Brian Shaw, defending, said his client has lost her previous good character “spectacularly”.

He said: “The trigger seems to have been the death of her

mother, perhaps bringing up unpleasant memories from her childhood.

“Although initially taking small amounts to pay for household bills, her expenditure increased to more expensive tastes.”

Mr Shaw asked the judge not to impose a curfew because she has “not been able to confide in her husband at this point”.

Recorder Joshua Swirsky imposed the suspended prison sentence, and ordered Maguire, of Collingwood Close, Peacehaven, to do 240 hours of unpaid work.

He said: “You worked as a cashier for ten years and have been described as trusted and respected.

“You created false hand pay tickets, and took advantage of a defect in the financial control system.

“You had the advantage of your knowledge of the system.

“It was a serious breach of trust.”

He agreed not to put her under curfew.