Dorset Police Evidence Officer Stole Seized Cash

A Dorset police staff member has been convicted of stealing more than £14,000 worth of seized cash from evidence bags.

Lisa Arnold, 52, of Benlease Way, Swanage, admitted one offence of theft by employee when she appeared at Weymouth Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 7th December 2022.

Theft is an offence contrary to section 1 of the Theft Act 1968. The maximum penalty is 12 months' custody on summary conviction; 7 years' custody on conviction on indictment. We have previously written an article on the legalities surrounding theft.

Magistrates heard that Arnold had worked for Dorset Police since 2016 and was transferred into the evidence department in 2018. She had responsibility for cataloging exhibits, which often included seized cash in transparent plastic envelopes.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, said: "She logged exhibits going in and out and often these were money. Often the exhibits are uncounted and the word 'uncounted' put on the exhibit envelopes.

"Miss Arnold tells us in her interview she would look for uncounted exhibits in cash. She would open the envelope at the bottom, not breaking the seal, took out the cash and resealed it with Sellotape."

Understandably it took a while before Arnold's crime was detected.

The court heard that she would place the stolen cash in a carrier bag in a wardrobe before depositing it in her bank account.

Arnold accepted stealing cash to the total value of £14,494.20, having broken into envelopes on 17 different occasions.

Ms Valera said that Arnold's crime amounted to a significant breach of trust, the likely sentence for which would exceed the powers of the Magistrates' Court. She asked that the case be sent to the Crown Court for sentencing.

Lee Christmas, mitigating, made no objection to that request, indicating that his client would be offering significant mitigation on the next occasion.

Magistrates agreed that their sentencing powers were insufficient. They ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report to assist the Crown Court Judge in sentencing.

Arnold was granted unconditional bail until her sentencing at Bournemouth Crown Court on Friday, 6th January 2023.