A SHOP supervisor processed fraudulent refunds into her own bank account to pay off a 'blackmailer' who threatened to leak her nude photos, a court heard.

Karen Barker, 42, of Armstrong Rise in Charlton, pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation and was sentenced in Salisbury Magistrates Court on Thursday, June 29.

While Barker was working as a supervisor at Claire's Accessories she processed refund exchange transactions without original receipts with no customer present to her own bank cards as well as cash.

She did this intending to make a gain for herself to the value of £3,205.48 between June 1, 2022, and February 7, 2023.

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The court heard that Barker had been employed for just over one year in both Salisbury and Andover stores and would be responsible for taking money to the bank.

Barker admitted to the offence after being caught during an internal investigation at Claire's as well as during a police interview.

Keith Ballinger, prosecuting, said Barker was using the money to pay off someone who had been blackmailing her with her own nude photographs and she "had been worried that she would get caught".

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The blackmailer threatened to publish the photographs online and send them to Barker's family, the court heard.

Barker presented evidence of online messages from the "blackmailer" to Magistrates but this was not presented to the police during interviews.

Barker was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 130 hours of community work and must pay £3205.48 compensation.