Hospital cash thief is warned 'it could be jail'

FORMER Board of Health employee Sarah Young could face a prison sentence after being found guilty of stealing more than £30,000 from the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. The 10 jurats unanimously found 10 counts of theft against her proved at the end of a seven-day trial yesterday.

The thefts occurred between 5 April 2001 and 6 March 2002 when Young worked as a dining room supervisor at the hospital.

Sentencing was adjourned for at least three weeks for a probation report to be prepared.

The jurats reached their decision after retiring for just over an hour.

A Board of Health spokesman said that the department was pleased that the case had concluded because a number of staff had given evidence and this was 'inevitably stressful for all concerned'.

A system introduced in 1998 was designed to prevent such a crime. 'It was due to the fact that this procedure was not followed that the discrepancies came to light,' said the spokesman. 'The member of staff was placed in a position of trust which she unfortunately abused.'

Deputy Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland, presiding, warned the jurats that it was for the prosecution to prove that the defendant was guilty - not for the defendant to prove her innocence.

'You must be sure of the defendant's guilt on the facts alone,' he advised.

Senior Jurat David Lowe announced the decision at 12.20pm - telling the court that the answer was the same for all counts - guilty.

The court was told that a probation report normally took 21 days to prepare.

It was agreed to allow Young, 33, of 1, Strathmore House, The Grange, St Peter Port, bail and to be remanded out of custody on condition she does not leave or attempt to leave the island before sentencing.

But the Deputy Bailiff warned that was in no way an indication that a custodial sentence would not follow.

During the trial many board staff appeared as prosecution witnesses.

The case exposed serious flaws in the board's banking system at the PEH at the time of the offences - it took 11 months for staff to notice that large sums were missing.

It emerged that the system had since been changed and different procedures adopted.

Another count of theft against Young was formally dismissed when it emerged that some paperwork was not traceable.

Members of Young's family were in the public gallery to hear the summing-up and verdict.