The head of a charity hit by a thieving former employee has said it is relieved to put the ‘distressing’ ordeal to bed.
Margaret Pike stole £43,893.83 from the Fremantle Trust by creating a fake employee and paying it a salary for three years, before being jailed and ordered to pay back some of the money.
Trust chief executive Carole Sawyers said: “This has been a distressing time for the Trust. As a charitable organisation, we were understandably shocked by the revelations and are relieved the matter has concluded and we can put it behind us.
“We are incredibly grateful to the team member whose vigilance brought this issue to the fore so that the appropriate action could be taken to deal with the situation.
“The issue has had no impact on our service and our prime focus remains the ongoing delivery of high quality care.”
Pike, 57, from Howard Avenue, Aylesbury was ordered to pay back £31,257.44, the sum total of all her assets, at a confiscation hearing at Aylesbury Crown Court on November 30.
In September she pleaded guilty to stealing the money and was sentenced to 18 months in prison. If she fails to pay back the money within 28 days of the November 30 hearing Pike will serve a further 14 months imprisonment and still have to pay the money back.
The Fremantle Trust provides nurses and care staff to residential homes and hospitals across the Aylesbury region and employs around 2,000 staff.