Pharmacy worker falsified receipts

A mother-of-two today admitted falsifying receipts and pocketing the cash at a Hamilton pharmacy.

Jennika Raynor Trott, 23, was a cashier at Clarendon Pharmacy when she voided 22 transactions that weren’t supposed to be voided and kept the money.

Crown counsel Cindy Clarke told the court the manager of the pharmacy noticed suspicious transactions brought to his attention by a customer.

The customer showed the manager a receipt where the customer had purchased two items but the items had been voided by the cashier. The customer hadn’t returned the items.

The manager noticed similar suspicious transactions.

Ms Clarke told the court between May 25 and July 6, Trott dishonestly processed 22 voided transactions and pocketed $522 during the days she worked. The transactions happened over a seven-day period.

A customer would buy items but Trott would void the items to make it look like they returned them.

The customer would then leave the store and Trott would pocket the money to make it appear she had given it to the customer.

Trott was interviewed by police on July 25 and admitted processing 22 transactions.

Ms Clarke said she has a previous similar conviction from 2007 when she was 16 of stealing from her then employer.

Mitigating for Trott, Susan Moore-Williams said she has two small children and doesn’t receive child support.

“Life is a struggle. She is very sorry for these offences and these are things I would ask you to take into consideration for any sentence you are minded to decide.”

But Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: “This is a systematic theft from your employer.

“I also here your arguments about here personal circumstances.

“I also hear you mention that the previous offence in 2007 was when she was 16 but it was a serious theft in the same circumstances while working for an employer.

“Maybe it’s not making a mistake when you were a youth.”

Mr Warner ordered pre-sentencing reports and adjourned the matter to September 30 for sentencing.

Trott was given $2,000 bail.