A Dunedin woman who stole $7136 from her employer told police she took the money as she had fallen in love with an unknown man on the internet.
He claimed he would return the money to her when they were united, she said.
Before Judge John Macdonald in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Delwyn Mary Pauling (42), unemployed, admitted stealing the cash from her then employer, in July, and making a false statement to police.
At the request of public defender Campbell Savage, convictions were not entered and Pauling was remanded to September 27 for possible restorative justice and a hearing on an application for her to be discharged without conviction.
Prosecutor Sergeant Steven Armitage said Pauling was employed as area manager for Rough Diamond Ltd to oversee the daily running of four Thai restaurants in Dunedin.
Between July 21 and 25, Pauling went to the restaurants on several occasions and emptied their drop safes of the daily takings.
She transferred the money through Western Union to an unknown receiver.
The cash taken amounted to $7136.
On July 27, Pauling phoned her employer and said the company car had been broken into.
She had forgotten to do the weekly banking and the money, which had been in the car, was gone, she said.
She then phoned police and made a formal report of theft.
When spoken to, Pauling gave her explanation about falling in love with an unknown man on the internet and his claiming he would repay the money when they were finally together.
Pauling incurred a considerable personal debt as a consequence of the relationship.
She had not previously been before the court.
