Mum took advantage of son's shop scam to steal cigarettes and electricity card

A woman has been fined after she took cigarettes and an electricity card as part of a till scam her son had been operating at a corner shop.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.Chesterfield magistrates' court.
Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Friday, December 29, how Kelly Marie Strawinski, 38, of Cauldon Drive, Holmehall, Chesterfield, took advantage of her 18-year-old son’s scam while he was working at Londis and was abusing an employee’s account system.

Prosecuting solicitor Sanjay Jerath said: “The defendant’s son worked for Londis and over three months he was in essence scamming the tills.

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“His mother went on one occasion to Londis to utilise his son’s involvement by receiving an electricity credit and a packet of cigarettes.

“Her son was dealt with by restorative justice agreeing to pay back the £400 or some taken and his mother has been charged.

“This defendant is also paying for her son’s misdemeanours.”

Strawinski pleaded guilty to aiding, abetting, counselling and procuring theft from a shop from May.

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Defence solicitor Kirsty Sargent said: “The defendant’s son was an employee at the local corner shop and over a three-month period he took advantage of an employee account system to put things on an account and pay for them later.

“On one occasion his mother has taken a packet of cigarettes and an electricity card and had not paid for these items and she knew they should have been paid for.”

Ms Sargent added: “Ms Strawinski said it was just the temptation when her son was taking items and it was low value items she took to assist her on benefits. The temptation got the better of her and she has not done anything since and she only has one previous conviction on her record.”

Strawinski’s 18-year-old son now has no income, according to Ms Sargent, and she is paying back the money he owes.

Magistrates fined Strawinski £120 and ordered her to pay a £30 victim surcharge and £85 costs.