Finance officer of Pembroke College in Cambridge, Jacqueline Balaam, misused her position to steal more than £285,000 form the college.
Her addiction to online gambling led the 41 years old from Fallowfield to steal and be jailed for 30 months. Balaam made bets of more than £6 million over an eight year period.
Balaam used her position as a purchase ledger clerk to duplicate invoices The Daily Mail reported. She would let the college pay twice and she would then direct the second payment into her own account.
With her skills, she would tinker the accounting system to cover her tracks. She did this for 18 months and 77 times. Withdrawing a total of over £285,000. On top of that Balaam stole £3,000 over a four year period from Girton Social Club- for which she worked for as a treasurer.
Her addiction was on online bingo and fruit machine site, Jackpotjoy, she admitted to the police. Since her start in the online gambling industry in 2006, Balaam would win money and then spend the money she won to further her addiction.
Detective Sergeant Dave York, from Cambridgeshire Police’s economic crime unit, told the BBC: “This is a case where the strength of an addiction to online gambling overcame the defendant’s resistance to temptation.”
