Postmistress jailed after 'stealing to feed addiction'

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by Change | 24 Oct 2008

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A woman has been sacked after stealing money to fund a gambling addiction.

A former postmistress has been jailed for stealing more than £70,000 to feed her gambling addiction.

Janine Powell has today been sentenced to 18-months in prison by Truro crown court after stealing £71,000 while working in, and living above, a post office.

The 37-year-old was told by Judge Christopher Elwen: "Inevitably with gambling you were losing and seeking to recoup your losses by betting yet again, and at higher amounts, hoping everything would come right."

Defence counsel Patrick Mason claimed Ms Powell was betting "a lot of money" over the internet and stated "everything points to an addiction", the BBC reports.

The prosecution stated the defendant had "literally put her hand in the till" and tried to "pretend the amount of money in the post office was higher than it actually was", the news provider adds.

Earlier this month, it was revealed the number of people contacting gambling addiction phonelines has increased, with 38,000 doing so in the last 12-months, a rise of 8,000 in year-on-year figures, reported the Daily Telegraph.

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