Charter Medical Centre Hove thief Kim Ashurst stole thousands

Kim Ashurst worked at the Charter Medical Centre in Davigdor Road, Hove, and for Foundry Healthcare in Lewes.

Her addiction to roulette and blackjack online started in 2019, and through the lockdown her losses mounted.

She created fake invoices for equipment at the doctors' surgeries.

But Ashurst was rumbled when Charter’s business manager Nina Graham carried out a quarterly accounts review and spotted the transfer of £30,000 into Ashurst’s account.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court the 44-year-old admitted two counts of theft by an employee and was given a 20-week suspended prison sentence.

The court heard how thief Ashurst was paying herself an extra £500 per month.

Brighton Magistrates Court

After being confronted she was sacked, and Charter Medical Centre also contacted Foundry Healthcare, where Ashurst also worked.

The group found the thief had stolen £15,000 from the River Lodge surgery in Lewes and £19,000 from the surgery in School Hill.

The thefts took place between January and June 2020.

Gambling addict Kim Ashurst stole from Charter Medical Centre in Hove and from Foundry Healthcare which runs GP surgeries in Lewes, including in School Hill

It was revealed that Ashurst’s parents helped pay back the £30,000 to Charter Medical Centre, while Foundry Healthcare has claimed the costs from insurance cover.

Ashurst’s online gambling had “spiralled out of control” the court heard. She took out credit cards and loans to chase her losses.

She was “extremely remorseful” for her actions, but her solicitor said gambling addictions for women are becoming a bigger problem.

Gambling addict Kim Ashurst stole from Charter Medical Centre in Hove and from Foundry Healthcare which runs GP surgeries in Lewes, including in School Hill

Ashurst, of Hillside Crescent, Angmering, appeared in court for sentence for her thefts, and was told her actions represented a “serious breach of trust”.

She was told to complete 30 rehabilitation sessions with the probation service and 180 hours of unpaid work in the community within the next year.

Magistrates did not order her to pay costs, instead saying the priority was for Ashurst to pay compensation to Foundry Healthcare.

She was ordered to pay £1,200 to the group, at a rate of £20 per week.

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