Woman in £126,000 case admits defrauding Shrewsbury firm - to help her addict son
A woman has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Shrewsbury company she worked for - but claimed she was coerced into it by her son.
Ann Jones is accused of unlawfully taking £126,892.26 between March 2013 and May 2016, while working as an account manager at Jim Dorricott Construction Ltd in Shrewsbury.
The 58-year-old, of Heritage Way, Llanymynech, near Oswestry, pleaded guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday but said she was coerced by her son, Craig Smith, to fund his drug and alcohol addiction.
Smith, 35, of Balfour Close, Northampton, also pleaded guilty to acting together with his mother to acquire criminal property – £33,774.03 in cash – but does not accept his mother was coerced.
Jones also says she did not take all of the money alleged.
The basis of plea was not accepted by the prosecution.
The case is due to come back to court on April 6 for mention and to decide whether there will need to be a trial of issue.
