A sobbing mother was jailed for 18 months for tu

A sobbing mother was jailed for 18 months for turning
to deception when she could not afford to feed her children.

June Weatherman, 28, bought stolen cheque books,
cheque cards and pass books and used them in central London banks
and building societies, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The mother of four had a tragic upbringing and was
driven to dishonesty when her husband could not get work, said
Mr Simon Stein, defending.

But Judge Thomas, QC, told the weeping woman: ‘The time
has come when you must go to prison so the public can be
protected.

‘
The court heard the property was stolen on several ‘walk
in’ thefts at schools and hospitals and put to use by
Weatherman within hours.

Among the victims were a doctor at St Andrews Hospital
Whitchapel, three nurses at St Bartholomews Hospital and a teacher
at St Saviours Primary School, Poplar.

Weatherman netted pnds stlg pnds stlg 550 by pretending
she was the account holder and drawing money from banks and
building societies with forged signatures, said prosecutor Mr
Peter Stage.

One October 11 she was arrested when her finger prints
were traced on one of the cheques.

Weatherman was bailed, but six days later cashed a
stolen cheque for pnds stlg 50 at Lloyds Bank in Commercial Road,
Whitechapel.

She was trying to cash another pnds stlg 50 cheque when
a member of staff recognised her as the woman who had cashed
another dud cheque in another Stepney branch of Lloyds.

Weatherman fled when she was challenged and staff gave
chase.

Twice they caught her but she managed to wriggle free
and she was not detained until the police were called in.

She told officers: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong, it’s all a
mistake.

‘
But in court jobless Weatherman admitted seven charges of
obtaining property by deception, to attempts and five charges of
handling stolen goods between August 9 and October 17 last year.

The court heard she had several previous convictions for
identical crimes but had never been jailed before.

Mr Stein said Weatherman, who lives in a four bedroomed
house in Bromley Street, Stepney, had fallen on hard times when
her courier husband was arrested during a family feud.

His bail conditions meant he had to stay away from areas
he needed to visit in his work, said counsel.

And he could not find casual work because of a stab
wound to his hand.

The family’s child allowance was spent on paying the
hire purchase on the husband’s van and the family was forced to
live on pnds stlg 71 a week dole, claimed Mr Stein.

‘In the end June Weatherman turned to what she knew
best in desperation.

‘
But the judge told the mother: ‘I have listened with
care to everything that has been said on your behalf but it is
quite plain to me that you have been given every chance by courts
in the past.

‘
Weatherman burst into tears again and waved to her hus
band as she was led to the cells.

ENDS