Woman in £27k theft to repay £1

A Willenhall undertaker jailed for stealing £27,000 from her employer has been ordered to pay just £1 back.

Lisa Wyke, of Forrester Street, Walsall, was taken to a Proceeds of Crime hearing after taking money from Co-op Funeral Service in Market Place, Willenhall.

The 34-year-old assistant funeral director, who had responsibilities for banking at the Co-op, stole the money between November 2006 and April 2008 after customers paid for funerals and was jailed for a year in March.

At a hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, it emerged that she has no assets.

Wyke will have to pay back more money when her finances improve.

Syed Askari, confiscations delivery manager for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "What was made in this case was a Proceeds of Crime Confiscation Order. What the court has to establish is what has been obtained and what the available assets are then make an order.

"In this case, having been charged with the offences this has then been referred to the financial investigations team and they were unable identify assets in the defendant's name. As a result we have seen a nominal £1 order which establishes the debt."