Barclays cashier, 25, jailed after she stole almost £17,000 from bank to pay for romantic nights out with her boyfriend

A bank worker who stole almost £17,000 from Barclays to pay for romantic nights out with her boyfriend has been jailed.

Catherine Finney, 25, made more than a hundred 'inter-till transfers' and used the accounts of two elderly customers in order to cover her theft.

A court heard Finney had started to see a new partner and wanted to impress him by taking him out for lavish meals in fancy restaurants.

The scheming cashier stole a total of £16,980 between January 2011 and March 2013 so she could go out socialising with him.

On Monday, Finney, from Droitwich, Worcestershire, was jailed for 18 months at Worcester Crown Court after admitting one count of theft and two of fraud.

Sentencing Judge Michael Cullum said she had breached a position of very high trust at the bank to pay to 'advance' her lifestyle.

He added: 'You took the money for your own living standards, which may not have been as lavish as some, but it was certainly beyond that which you would have legitimately been able to afford.

'It was simply to advance your lifestyle.

'On almost a daily basis, you would take small amounts of money over a two-year period from the till at which you were the sole worker.

'You made, in total, 108 inter-till transfers which enabled the period over which you stole money to be as long as it was.

'Anyone working in the banking industry is, by definition, in a high position of trust.

'The calculated nature of deceptions, the efforts you made in masking it, and the number of occasions you took money are all aggravating factors.

'You took the money for your own living standards, which may not have been as lavish as some, but it was certainly beyond that which you would have legitimately been able to afford. 

'It was simply to advance your lifestyle.'

The court heard the two elderly customers made no loss during the scam and Finney passed off queries over mystery transactions on their statements as banking errors.

She also replaced their postal statements with email statements.

Defending Finney, Paul Stanley said she was in debt and wanted to be able to go out with her new partner.

He added that she was 'very remorseful' about what had happened and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.

A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing will be held on April 1 to determine if Finney will have to pay back any of the money.