A Corner Brook woman who stole money from her family’s business to support her drug habit has been granted a conditional discharge with a year of probation.
The sentence for Tammy Humphries was delivered by Judge Wayne Gorman of the provincial court last week.
According to a written decision by Gorman, the court heard that Humphries had come into possession of several cheques she knew had been stolen from the business. She defrauded a bank by falsely signing her father’s name on 13 of the cheques, making them out to herself and cashing them.
The total cashed was $7,288, which was subsequently deposited into her boyfriend’s bank account and used to buy cocaine.
Humphries entered guilty pleas to single counts of possession of stolen property and fraud.
The full amount that was defrauded has been repaid to the bank.
Crown attorney Trina Simms and defence counsel John Noseworthy both asked that her sentence be suspended and that Humphries be given two years of probation and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.
Gorman would not accept that joint recommendation, stating he didn’t think it was necessary to enter a conviction in this case and that a conditional discharge with 12 months of probation would be more appropriate.
Gorman noted Humphries, who has no prior convictions, has taken measures to try and deal with her addiction issue and said the sentence should encourage progress with those efforts. He concluded that, despite the serious breach of trust in her offence, entering a conviction would not serve any more purpose than a discharge would in terms of deterrence or the public’s interest.
