Amazon fraud: Co Antrim woman used work credit card to make nearly £7,000 of purchases on Amazon

Mary Sherry, 54, received a six-month suspended sentence for the scam against her former nursing agency employers. A judge also ordered her to repay the full amount within 28 days.

Sherry, of Hilden Mews in Lisburn, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. It was revealed today that she has a string of similar previous convictions in the Republic of Ireland - including one case where the loss amounted to 188,000 euros.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard Sherry acquired a company credit card belonging to Pulse Care Agency for work purposes.

But over a five-month period between October 2021 and March 2022 she used it to make £6,975 worth of unauthorised purchases.

“She kept the details of the card stored on her phone and used them,” A Crown lawyer said. “Over 370 items were purchased off Amazon.”

Once the card reached its credit limit a bank investigation was triggered and bosses at Pulse Care were alerted.

The company carried out its own internal probe to establish Sherry’s involvement.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd said she carried out the scam after falling behind on mortgage payments.

“She behaved in a very unsophisticated way that was always going to be detected,” the barrister submitted.

“This has been causing her very significant distress, she realises it could result in an immediate sentence (of imprisonment).”

The court heard Sherry’s previous offences were also directly linked to jobs she had in the Republic of Ireland.

She committed 26 counts of fraud against one former employer, and nine counts of fraud against another. One of the cases involved a total of 188,000 euros.

Another conviction related to the theft of nearly £1,000 worth of goods from Marks & Spencer.

“She has gone for long overdue counselling for issues that feed into this pattern of offending,” Mr Boyd added.

He stressed that Sherry is able to refund Pulse Care Agency in full.

Sentencing her to six months, suspended for three years, District Judge Anne Marshall described it as a borderline case.

She told Sherry: “It’s a knife-edge, you should really be going into custody given your previous offending in relation to employers.

“But there are a number of issues you now seem to be taking steps to deal with.”

Judge Marshall warned: “If there’s any new offending of a dishonest nature you really are looking at a lengthy sentence.

“I’m also going to order £6,975 compensation. You have 28 days to pay that.”