THE mother of a four-month-old boy was yesterday jailed for two-and-a-quarter years. Bank worker Emma Le Sauvage, 27, had admitted stealing £277,335 from the Royal Bank of Scotland International between February 2003 and October last year.
She also admitted four counts of money laundering.
Some of the cash had been stolen from an account that her husband’s parents had with the bank, the Royal Court heard, and Le Sauvage had provided them with false information on the bank’s headed paper when questions were asked.
Advocate Chris Dunford, prosecuting, said that the defendant had performed 134 dishonest transactions in total using various methods.
‘All the money stolen eventually made its way to accounts that were under the defendant’s control,’ he said.
The money had later left those accounts but its destination was in many cases unknown.
On her arrest, Le Sauvage told police that she was surprised at the sum involved. She thought it was about £170,000.
‘I’ve obviously got a problem with spending money and I need to speak to someone about that,’ she said.
The court heard that Le Sauvage had joined the NatWest - which was taken over by RBS in 2000 - as a 16-year-old school leaver.
In 2002 she had been promoted to business adviser. She and her line manager were responsible for more than 500 client accounts and her role gave her access to other accounts.
In October last year, an investigation was launched by the bank’s London-based group security and fraud department after concerns were raised about the defendant misappropriating funds.
Advocate Jessica Roland, defending, said that her client was of previously good character. Since her arrest, Le Sauvage had been coming to terms with the magnitude of her offences.
She had given birth to her first child four months ago and a custodial sentence would have an adverse effect on her son. Reports by a probation officer and psychotherapist Sarah Craske had both identified special reasons for imposing a suspended prison sentence.
UK consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Patrick Gallwey appeared for the defence. He said an unresolved bereavement condition that Le Sauvage had suffered following the death of her father when she was 11 had fuelled an adjustment disorder. That had prompted bouts of depression.
He thought she was genuinely ill but she was well enough to stand trial and her actions were so sophisticated that she would have known what she was doing.
‘There’s no excuse as it were, but only an explanation,’ he said.
Deputy Bailiff Richard Collas said the defendant could be given credit for early guilty pleas. In a case of such complexity, a denial would have resulted in a lengthy trial.
But Le Sauvage had abused the position of trust in which the bank had placed her. What she did had been elaborate and well planned and she had taken steps to conceal her actions.
‘The court is always reluctant to send the mother of a young child to prison and we consider it very carefully, but there is no alternative,’ he said.
‘It was a sophisticated theft that can only be dealt with by an immediate custodial sentence.’
He sentenced the defendant to two years and three months in prison on each of the five counts, to run concurrently. She will be supervised on her release.
* Advocate Dunford told the court that the bank had been consulted on whether it wished the prosecution to apply for a compensation order.
‘They do not,’ he said. ‘The bank has, however, reimbursed customers and so is now contemplating whether or not to take its own action to recover the sums stolen by the defendant.’
Article posted on 30th October, 2007 - 12.00am
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