A cleaner who stole more than £30,000 from her mother-in-law by forging cheques and bank loans narrowly avoided jail.
Sneaky Melanie Read, 37, was given a job cleaning caravans at a holiday park owned by her husband’s mum, by Annette Read.
Her responsibilities increased after Annette suffered a stroke in May 2006 and she began handling bookings and finance.
But she was unhappy with her new salary and stole £30,000 by forging cheques and running up credit card bills.
Mum-of-four Read, of Hayle, Cornwall, was jailed for twelve months suspended for two years and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work.
Martin Little, prosecuting, told Plymouth Crown Court: ”She was forging her mother-in-law’s signature.
”She paid herself £30,000 for two years’ work, which she thought was fair as she had been working six or seven days a week.”
