By Hayley Robinson

An accountant who was due to spend Christmas behind bars for not repaying money she stole from her employers, has been released from prison.

Joanne Berrill was sentenced to 159 days in prison for failing to pay £8,000 to UK Paper Leisure Club in Sittingbourne when she appeared before Dover Magistrates Court on Friday, November 13.

But the mother of four was released on Wednesday, November 25, after the outstanding balance of £6,700 was paid earlier that morning.

Berrill originally appeared at Maidstone Crown Court on January 9, when she was ordered to pay the money back to or face prison for stealing £78,934 from the club between December 2004 and September 2006. She admitted 19 charges of theft and four of obtaining property by deception and was given 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for a year, as well as nine months’ supervision.

Berrill, who was employed as a bookkeeper and accountant at the club in October 2004 and had debit cards in her name, spent £17,495 of the club’s money to buy a BMW for her husband Lee and also had a make-over and bought computer equipment.

The club’s manager Brian Cane became suspicious in 2005 and the following year irregularities were discovered and Berrill was arrested and charged.

She told police she had acted out of desperation, but admitted she was greedy in buying the car. Her husband did not know what she had done.

Berrill, of Cecil Avenue, Sheerness, handed over the car and Mr Cane was able to recover £12,666 by selling it.