Staffer pleads guilty to stealing $30,000

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

A 45-year-old Pakenham woman has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $30,000 while working at an Officer supermarket.
Michelle Walker, a store services officer at the Woolworths supermarket, had allegedly told police she stole to cover utility bills as well as toll and Sheriff fines, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard on 10 July.
She had allegedly told police she’d smuggle out cash in a handbag or a sock, and later manipulate records to cover the loss.
The issue was uncovered after Walker took a call at work that her mother died in the early hours of 27 February.
She allegedly continued working for 54 minutes, refloating the check-out registers with cash before telling her manager that she had to leave due to her mother’s death.
As other staff completed the floats, they noticed $30,940 cash missing from six registers.
Walker’s work on the register floats had been unchecked since March 2016, police told the court.
In that time, she had access to cash from the registers, office and safe, but there were no other charges of misappropriation.
On another occasion, Walker had swapped $9000 of $100 notes from the Officer store with $50 notes at Woolworths’ Pakenham Central store.
While no money was detected as missing, the move was considered not the supermarket’s usual practice, the court heard.
Walker’s employment was terminated, and she was arrested by Cardinia CIU detectives in May.
Magistrate Barry Schultz adjourned the matter so the unrepresented Walker could seek legal advice.
“It is a serious matter for which you could be sentenced to a term of imprisonment,” Mr Schultz said.
Walker told the court she hadn’t sought a lawyer because she’d been in a lot of denial, recounting her mother’s recent death.
“Well, that’s what brought it all to light,” Mr Schultz replied.
Walker will next appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 28 August.