A LIDL store manager who stole £4,000 from her employer’s safe after she tried to gamble her way out of debt narrowly avoided going straight to prison.

Mother-of-two Monika Petters, 36, “abused her position of trust” at the chain’s Cwmbran supermarket, Pamela Kaiga, prosecuting, said.

The defendant, of The Crescent, Cwmbran, who resigned from her £27,000-a-year job last year, wept as she was handed a suspended jail sentence.

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Miss Kaiga told Cardiff Crown Court: “She was appointed as a temporary store manager at Lidl in Cwmbran when the permanent manager was off sick.”

The judge, Recorder Duncan Bould, was told how Petters was in charge of banking the cash takings and started to “manipulate” the system.

She took £6,000 before she was caught but paid back £2,000 when she was rumbled after an investigation was launched by the area manager.

Petters also admitted swindling the company out of £189.99 when she falsely put through a refund for a pressure washer.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud.

Miss Kaiga said: “This was an abuse of her position and an abuse of trust and responsibility.”

She told the court Petters had no previous convictions.

Hilary Roberts, mitigating, said: “This is a sad tale. This is a hard-working lady who has two sons and who lives with her husband.

“She had shown prowess in her job which is why she was promoted but she has left everyone down.

“Her and her husband were both working, but their debts were piling up and they owed between £12,000 and £14,000 with no obvious way of paying their bills.

“She gambled online to chase her losses.”

Mr Roberts added: “She and her husband were having a rocky time but they have got over that and are together.

“She has a new job and has just signed a permanent contract which is due to start on Monday.

“The defendant has learnt the lesson of her own stupid behaviour which is unlikely to be repeated again.”

Recorder Bould told Petters: “You had a good job as a temporary store manager in the Cwmbran store at Lidl and you were taking home the best part of £27,000-a-year.

“What they didn’t know was that you found yourself in significant debt at that time.

“But rather than going to them or anyone else to look for assistance, you chose to steal from your employer.”

The judge said he was prepared to suspend her prison sentence because she had never been in trouble before and she was a mother.

He added: “It would be devastating for your children if their mum didn’t come home today.”

Petters was jailed for six months, suspended for 18 months, and she must carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

She must also pay £1,000 in compensation to Lidl.