[white2006]

Hi, I have just found out my girlfriend who worked as a secretary / book keeper for a Vet stole 31,000 Euro while workign for him by lodging cheques to her a/c over a 2 year period. Very very stupid thing to do, he fired her when he found out and is suing her for this now, the Police interviewed her etc and it is going to court. She has never even had a speeding fine before this. She had bought a new house and her then boyfriend was living with her and they were paying all the bills, mortgage between then but he left after a few months and she fell behind with all the bill and mortgage and had no family to turn to for any money and she made a huge mistake. She wanted to pay him off every week without me knowing as she was so ashamed of what she did. She got a loan of the max she could get which was 10,000 and paid this back. Now she is due our baby this week, we are both out of work since Jan of this year with a big mortgage and big loans.. what will the court usually do in this case?

[phlanx]

Hello White

What is the charge she must answer before the court?

[ROLCAM]

I am sorry to give you bad news.
The court will not take to it favourably.
She is in big trouble.
Crime never pays!
She will have to face the consequences.

[excon]

what will the court usually do in this case?

Hello white:

You make the same mistake most people do here... They assume these things are written in stone, and that once a person is caught, certain things automatically happen with predictable results..

NOTHING could be further from the truth. You CAN, and SHOULD hire the best attorney you can, because the outcome has YET to be determined, and your lawyer CAN affect it.

excon

[phlanx]

Following on from Rolcams comments, he may be right

Courts always look at the background of why the crime was committed to determining the punishment

Here, as you state, the crime occurred over two years, which moves against her as it cannot be classed as a moment of weakness

Due to the length of time the crime took place suggests that she thought she could get away with it

How was she discovered, if I read correctly it was her employer who found this out, which again rules against her as she probably wouldn't have stopped if he hadn't

She does have some saving grace though as she has attempted to pay back the money, however this again is only after she was found out

In essence the reasons she did the crime will be understood, however the courts will see that she tried to take a short cut out of a bad situation by breaking the law

This is why I asked you what charge she has as this will provide you with information of what punishments could be imposed

[white2006]

She had stopped a year before her employer found out, she doesn't know what charge is been brought against her yet, just that a court case is due soon. She admitted everything. In the meantime a family member of the employer has contacted her to say if she can pay back the balance of 20,000 euro very soon he will drop the charges and it won't go to court but she has no access to that kind of money and nobody we know has either

[phlanx]

As excon states, "It is never over until the Fat Lady Sings"

Again, the fact she stopped but didn't comeforth and admit what she had done breaths concealment of the fact

She does as you state, have a way out of the mess, and if the employer is offering it - find a way (If you have a mrotgage, then maybe selling the house is an option)

Einstein stated, In difficulties, oppurtunities are available

[white2006]

Thanks a mill for your advise Phlanx

[phlanx]

Hope it helps White

[white2006]

At the moment it would be very very difficult to sell the house because nobody is buying and its worth a lot less now than what she bought it for... she has asked if she can pay it back monthly but he wants it in 1 go so we may have no choice but to go to court unfortunately

[phlanx]

With a baby due as well, money will be tighter

But there are still avenues available I am sure, selling possesions, getting a lodger etc etc, only the two of you can figure that out

I wish you both well