Mother-of-six, 52, will be jailed for six months unless she pays back £12,000 of £90,000 paid into her account by mistake in charity shop blunder
- Comfort Konadu was accidentally transferred £90,000 after returning an item
- Mencap staff said there was ‘issue with the machine’ during transaction in 2019
- Konadu then transferred £57,000 into other accounts, including that of her son
Comfort Konadu, 52, was accidentally handed an ‘unexpected windfall’ of £90,000
A mother-of-six could be jailed for six months if she does not pay back £12,000 of the £90,000 which was erroneously paid into her bank account at a charity shop.
Comfort Konadu, 52, was accidentally handed the ‘unexpected windfall’ when she returned an item to a Mencap shop in Openshaw, Manchester, in October 2019.
She kept the error a secret and instead made a ‘flurry’ of transactions, moving a total of £57,000 into other accounts.
The bank were able to freeze some of the cash, but Mencap, which supports people with learning disabilities, lost more than £31,000.
It will recoup a portion of the losses after a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing was held at Manchester Crown Court.
Konadu, who previously received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to theft, was ordered to pay back more than £12,000 of the money.
She could face six months in jail if she fails to return the sum within three months.
Konadu’s sentencing hearing last September heard how she had let ‘temptation’ get the better of her when she spotted the cash in her account after returning an item on October 11, 2019.
The blunder was spotted soon afterwards, when managers were alerted to a sizable refund and an investigation was launched.
Staff at the Openshaw store said there had been an ‘issue with the machine’, and £90,047.19 was transferred to Konadu’s account in error.
Two members of staff were suspended and later dismissed.
Konadu had returned an item to the Mancap store in Openshaw, Manchester, (above) on October 11, 2019, when the accidental transaction was made
The sum landed in Konadu’s account on October 14, when she made the transfers including to an account belonging to her son.
Prosecutors said the £31,000 loss would represent up to 18 months’ worth of profits for the charity shop.
Konadu’s barrister said ‘temptation got the better of her’ and that she usually lives a ‘modest and humble’ lifestyle working as a cleaner.
She was sentenced to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years.
Judge Nicholas Dean QC told her at the time: ‘You have brought shame on yourself, and I dare say to your family.’
A Proceeds of Crime hearing was heard by the same judge yesterday [April 20].
James Preece, prosecuting, said Konadu was found to have benefited from her crime to the tune of £14,319.38.
An investigation found she had an available amount of £12,761, which the judge ordered her to pay back.
The judge also made an order ensuring the charity gets priority in receiving the funds.
Judge Dean said on Tuesday: ‘Today’s hearing concludes the proceedings in this court, in relation to your guilty plea to theft.’