Kayleigh McDonnell, 38, took the money from the Marks and Spencer store on New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke while she was “desperate”
A mother pilfered thousands from the tills of the M&S store where she worked in the New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke. A court heard that, Kayleigh McDonnell, was “desperate” as she was caught taking money from the Marks and Spencer outlet, with a judge labelling it an “extremely sad case”.
Her long-standing career and aspirations to climb the ranks at the retail heavyweight came crashing down, as she was tearful owning up to her offences. Yesterday, Monday, June 23, she expressed remorse in court.
Liverpool Crown Court was informed that McDonnell had been a fixture at the M&S branch on New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke for two decades, serving as a team leader until management detected a trend of “unusually high cash losses” in May 2024, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here.
Surveillance footage review exposed the 38-year-old’s repeated acts of scanning items at the tills before swiping banknotes. Prosecutor Jonathan Keane detailed how the Garston resident was caught engaging in this behaviour on 12 separate instances from May 14 to June 1 last year.
She exploited her “no sale function” override code to access the till drawers, committing four thefts on May 15 alone.
McDonnell, facing no prior convictions, was suspended and subsequently dismissed after opting not to participate in internal disciplinary proceedings. In a subsequent police interview, she was “emotional and crying throughout” while admitting her actions.
Originally accused of embezzling £12,067, Kayleigh insists she only appropriated approximately £7,000 from her employer. Stella Hayden, defending in court, remarked: “I invite the court to treat this offending, serious as it is, as out of character.”
She argued that the thefts weren’t driven by greed or a desire for luxury but by necessity for a hard-working mother of four struggling financially.
Stella continued: “It can be properly said that these were not actions motivated by greed or a desire to live a lavish lifestyle. This was a woman working hard, looking after four children and still unable to meet her financial obligations.”
Hayden portrayed her client’s partner as unemployed during the period, thrusting all fiscal responsibility onto McDonnell.
She continued: “Unfortunately, her partner was not in work in this period. The financial responsibility for the household fell upon her shoulders. She was simply unable to provide basic needs, such as food and the like. Ms McDonnell was being chased relentlessly by debt collection agencies. She was reliant on food banks simply to put food on the table for her family.”
Describing the inevitability of McDonnell’s apprehension, Hayden emphasised her client’s remorse. “This was a case where she was always going to be caught. It smacks of her desperation to take money in the way that she did. Ms McDonnell is totally ashamed of her actions.
“She worked hard to reach the position of team leader. She tells me that she was on a career path to be a store manager. She was proud of her job and would work long shifts. She tells me that, at times, she would have been better off on benefits, but she chose to work to set an example to her family.”
Ms Hayden added of her client’s disciplinary proceedings: “She did not receive notification of the hearing. She would have attended and admitted her offending, had she been aware of it.
“She has three biological children and also cares for her partner’s child. She had her oldest child aged 23 and brought him up on her own for the first six years. She is desperately worried about the impact of this offending on her family, and has obviously lost her employment as a result of her offending.
“She is the primary carer for four children, including a five-month-old baby. She knows how serious this is and she has already lost a great deal.”
McDonnell admitted theft, as she appeared in the dock wearing a black t-shirt. She appeared emotional and wiped tears away with a tissue throughout the hearing before being handed an 18-month community order.
Sentencing, Recorder Louis Browne KC said: “This is an extremely sad case. At the time of the thefts, you were a team leader in that store and had been employed for a number of years.”
The judge stated: “It was found that you were involved in a total of 12 incidents when you withdrew cash from the till drawers without any good reason. You worked for 20 years with an unblemished record and aspired to progress within Marks and Spencer.
“It’s clear that you and your partner were experiencing financial difficulties, struggling to provide for your children. According to the probation officer, you had accumulated debts of approximately £25,000, and your wages fell short of covering your daily living expenses.”
The judge acknowledged McDonnell’s previously good character, stating: “It is right to say that you are a woman of previous good character. In consequence, this must have been a very great shock to you, and your family and friends, to find yourself in the position that you are in. While there is no doubt that there was a degree of planning and a breach of trust in this case, there is genuine remorse and you were not motivated by greed.”
The judge then handed down a community order, warning McDonnell: “This is not a soft option. If you do not comply with the order, you will be brought back to court and be punished for any breaches.”
McDonnell responded: “Sorry, I will do everything.”
She was also ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days.