Will I go to prison

[user1496147688]

Hi,
So I’m 19 years old and I got caught with fraudulent receipts.
So I created fake receipts, with stolen items on them. Then these items were returned by me and someone else. It would at least be £200 worth of this. I told them I had done it because they had CCTV of everything and it was so clear I couldn’t deny it. They called the police and said that the police would come to my house or call me soon which could be any day. Maybe today, tomorrow, weeks, I don’t know.
This is the first time I would be in trouble with the police, and I go to college.
Would I be sent to prison for this or what else would happen?

No, you won't go to prison, hopefully you'll get a caution.

As it’s your first offence it meets the threshold of being offered a caution. It’s better to accept this as the evidence that they have suggests that if you don’t plead guilty and accept the caution then you will go to court and instead be charged with the offence.
Also a caution isn’t a criminal conviction, but if you offend again then your caution will be taken into consideration.
They may instead give you a penalty notice. This also doesn’t count as a conviction as long as you pay the fine.

No one is saying OPs life is over. I have a friend who did worse and served time. Since he got out he has worked his butt off and always been employed. But obviously her future is different now, that's the reality, no amount of sugar coating it will help that. She did it, she needs to show remorse, pay her dues and move on.

Not really the point I know but how did you manage to fake reciepts that looked good enough to fool the returns person. In my local Primark they seem really strict about returns. I can't imagine them being fooled by a made up receipt.

What made them start to suspect you?

£200 is an interesting figure to come up with, OP with regards the thievery. Over this threshold, it is no longer deemed to be goods of "low value". I'm hoping that you are late in with a law essay rather than being this daft irl.

The thing is: it does not seem to have been a spontaneous theft with extenuating circumstances. You thought this through before doing it. You colluded with someone else in this. You faked receipts also. It was clearly more than once. All this is relevant.

Having plotted all this thieving through, you forget that your former employer has CCTV? Your are suspended. Primark did not call the cops in immediately like they would with a shoplifter?

Probably, they are going through other stuff with a fine tooth comb.

So no idea how it would go in court. Initially, I would have said you would be at the mags... but now... well it depends how much evidence they have and how long it has been going on for, and your associates.

Very best scenario, perhaps a short suspended sentence?

Sandy - she worked there.

but how did you manage to fake reciepts that looked good enough to fool the returns person.

She was employed by Primark. Printed the receipts off the till somehow. She didn;t knock them up on the printer at home.

No one knows what the outcome is likely to be.

Some people are talking about it as it was just a silly mistake and not serious.

That’s not the case.

When it’s theft from an employer it might be considered to be theft by breach of trust.

Breach of trust is then an aggravating factor and increases the possible sentence.

I know she worked there, she said she created the receipts, that doesn't sound like she printed them off the till.

When I've worked in shops you couldn't make a fake receipt from the till as the money would be short but I never worked in Primark so accept things could be different there.

If it was that it must have taken some planning so sounds like more than a silly mistake and happened several times so tbh you'll have to take whatever punishment is coming

I actually know someone who got caught doing almost exactly this, but he stole 1000s over a couple of years while working for M&S. He did it using genuine receipts from people returning clothing. He’d pocket the receipt, shoplift the item in his own store, then go to another M&S to return the item and get the money back. He only did it with items bought for cash so they never asked questions.

He was eventually caught and prosecuted while studying a teaching degree. I can’t remember what he ‘got’ but it wasn’t a custodial sentence. One thing I do know is that he wasn’t ever able to work as a teacher and has worked as a cleaner for the the 20 years since it happened.

I'm just answering your question OP in my earlier post.

However, if there is a reason behind all this which you feel unable to write on here, then please get some advice and support asap.

People do things that they regret. You have made your future a lot more difficult, but you can come through this to better times and I hope that you do.

Yeah I don't mind losing the job because I have now lost their trust.

You will care once you've grown up as this will follow you around for a decent chunk of time.

Suck it up and take whatever comes on the chin and try to stay on the straight and narrow from now on.

Stealing from your employer is more serious than stealing from a shop as a customer, because you have broken your duty of trust. I have known someone go to prison for that, albeit many years ago when times were different and prisons not as full.
The fact that this was planned in advance doesn't help.
I'd say you'd be lucky to offered a caution, or to get away with a suspended sentence.

I don't understand the OP - you were caught with fraudulent receipts so you created fake receipts? What's the difference between fraudulent and fake receipts?

bright lol

noones bright who steals from where they work-get used to manual labour its all your good for

not that theres anything wrong with it

Haha - love the afterthought backtracking!

I think the "so" at the beginning of the sentences is an annoying way of speaking/writing rather then meaning that one thing follows on from the other or as otherwise it makes no sense.

The reason I thought that the fake receipts had been made by the OP is that if she was only caught with receipts that she had somehow printed off the till how would anyone know they were fake. They'd just be receipts.

You're worried about going to prison and realise how silly you've been so take this as an opportunity to change or you may end up there one day.
I advise looking to do some charity work (something where there is no opportunity to steal) it will help remove any sense of entitlement and boost self-esteem. If you do a good job they may give you a reference that will help show you have moved on.

If you're truly sorry, why not go back to Primark to apologise and beg for mercy, confessing to everything, telling them how very stupid you were and you now realise this careless act of stupidity could hinder your future for the rest of your life? Tell them how very sorry you are and could they please give you one chance in life to turn over a new leaf by withdrawing the police report. Say you’d understand if they insist on pressing charges but all you’re asking is forgiveness as you are young and immature but now you’d behave decently for the rest of your life.

Yes, if a caution is offered, it is probably best to accept it rather than go to court.

But a caution will show up on your DBS check, should you ever require one for a job.

There's a lot of misinformation on this thread...

If charges are pressed; it'll likely be for both theft from an employer and fraud. You'll probably be fined; and have some community service with the probation service. It will go on your criminal record; and you'll have to declare it for six years until it's spent. It'll show on an enhanced check forever; and it won't be eligible for filtering.

You're also very likely to lose your job; and you won't get a reference, but you know that already.

It won't be the end of the world; but it will be a tough learning curve. Have you told your parents?

I feel for you OP
You did something very wrong but now every scared and anxious.

Highly unlikely prison
Likely record
However it will be “spent” in, I think, 7 Years, at which point who won’t have a record and won’t need to declare.

It might be worth writing a letter to your boss asking for the opportunity to pay the money they back before they prosecute you. You will have to grovel and explain you have realised the gravity of what you have done.
If you were my child I would be really angry with you but would help you try and save your record. Can your parents help you? I would be devastated if I found out after it was too late to help you.

You are young if you face up to what you have done you will be able to put it behind you once you have dealt with it. Don't do anything silly.

She has a different (same topic) thread about this too. She basically explains that she put a "sale" through the till and then the till was short £50.

I went on the tills scanned items and the pressed exact cash. So it looked like one one had brought something and payed for them with cash. But as this didn’t happen, this meant when they checked my till it was £50 short. So then I had those items and returned them.