Suspended sentence for £50k post office thief 'makes a mockery of justice'

Diane Lathlean sailed around the Bahamas, Hawaii and the Mediterranean on the proceeds of her thefts from the village post office run by best friend Fiona Senior

Mother of three Lathleen helped herself thousands of pounds worth of stock “with a smile on her face” when working part-time at the post office in Ampleforth, North Yorkshire.

Postmistress Mrs Senior and her family lived off mouldy bread while she sank her pay into keeping the retail side of the business afloat.

But despite previously being warned she faced jail, Lathlean escaped a custodial sentence to the fury of her former employer. 

Mrs Senior stormed that it “made a mockery” of justice.

She said: “I do feel that this was an extremely light sentence bearing in mind it is not the first conviction for theft from an employer.

“We were eating mouldy bread and buying second hand Christmas presents from charity shops. I was devastated when I found out what Diane had been doing. She was my best friend.”

Lathlean, 50, was splashing her ill gotten gains on the cruises as well as beauty treatments, stays in expensive hotels and a season ticket for Tottenham Hotspur.

Lathlean, a part-time shelf stacker and counter assistant, was employed on a 14 and a half hour week, earning £6.10 an hour.

Trusting Fiona, 48, refused to believe her best friend was to blame as the post office and village shop in Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, teetered on the brink of ruin.

But her husband Paul, 45, became suspicious when “appalling” takings suddenly flourished after Lathlean booked herself on a three-week voyage to Panama.

Lathlean denied the theft of £3,050 worth of stock between 2008 and 2012 but was convicted by Scarborough Magistrates in December.

The JPs could have jailed her for six months but sent her to York Crown Court for sentence because their powers were insufficient.

Presiding magistrate Carl Harwood said: “The offence is so serious you need greater punishment than we can give you. You were entrusted to run the business while the owners were away. We cannot see there would be any higher degree of trust.”

But Mr and Mrs Senior were stunned to see Lathlean walk free on Friday with a six month jail sentence suspended for two years.

Mrs Senior told the judge: “She was systematically stealing from our business while keeping a smile on her face.

“I totally trusted her. I thought she was my best friend in the village. Little did I realise her hidden agenda.” 

Lathlean was also ordered to do 140 hours of unpaid work, pay £300 court costs and an £80 surcharge.

Lathlean, who has already repaid the Seniors £3,050 for the stock, showed no emotion when sentence was passed.

The Seniors have received a £28,000 settlement for alleged theft of money and goods by Lathlean in a previous civil case.

Lathlean also has a previous criminal record for theft from an employer in 1989, it was revealed.

After the sentence, Mr Senior said: “I don’t know why she got such a light sentence. We are just glad it’s over because it’s been a very stressful time. She went on at least ten cruises when we were on the rocks. We lived like paupers when she was cruising the world.”

He told the court he estimated the true extent of Lathlean’s stealing was around £50,000.