A BRIERLEY Hill woman who pocketed over £72,000 while working on a supermarket till after getting into a "financial mess" at the end of her marriage and then falling into the clutches of a conman has avoided being locked up.

Susan Barker - described as honest and law abiding - carried out her "sophisticated" fiddle for over two years and her dishonesty cost 300 work colleagues their bonuses.

Recorder Abigail Nixon told Barker: "This was a planned course of clever deception over a long period of time involving a substantial sum of money.

"You got into a hopeless position where there was no light at the end of the tunnel and rather than ask for help, because you are a proud lady, you buried your head in the sand and pretended everything was OK."

Barker, she said, had only been saved from an immediate prison sentence by the string of references sent on her behalf from people stunned to learn about her criminality.

The Recorder added: "A large number of people think highly of you and they are very shocked to see you in this position."

Barker, she went on, had money troubles after her divorce and she continued to want the best for her family while also "being taken advantage of by a conman."

It was as a "last resort" that she turned to crime and her actions had not only ruined her good character but they had affected a great many colleagues who lost out on bonus payments.

"You were in a position of trust and responsibility." the Recorder told Barker who had been warned she could spend time behind bars at a previous hearing.

"I am absolutely certain you will never appear before a court again," she told 64 year old Barker who it was clear played a "real part" in the lives of many other people.

Barker, of Hern Road, admitted false accounting and she was given a two year jail term suspended for a year and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community.

The court had been told Barker worked on the refund till at the Asda supermarket in Brierley Hill and a "conservative" figure for the money she fiddled was about £72,700.

The figure, said Amrisha Parathalingam, prosecuting, involved cash refunds and it was based on money records at her till between January 2014 and February 2016.

After suspicions were aroused three members of staff watched Barker on CCTV and she was seen acting dishonestly.

Then, when questioned, Barker who had worked for Asda for over 30 years, said she had "doing it for years" since her money troubles began and she had been taking £90 to £100 on each shift.

Hardeep Bhombra, for Barker, told Wolverhampton Crown Court his client was full of remorse and family members had now taken charge of her finances.

He said her husband had taken charge of all the family financial affairs before he left and she had not had the skills needed to carry on. "That lead her into the situation she is in today," said Mr Bhombra.

The fiddle, stressed Miss Parathalingham, had a real impact on Barker's colleagues because she had abused her position with the supermarket.