Trusted estate agent cons victim out of £60k in 'devastating betrayal' View Image

An estate agent who conned her trusting employer out of over £60,000 has been sentenced. Frances Leach, whose role involved managing properties, was caught out after the firm noticed holes appearing in the finances.

The managing director of the Tynemouth estate agents, Mark Small, said he noticed a large decline in profits in November 2023. And when he asked Leach about it, she came up with an excuse and he asked her to compile a report.

When she failed to do so, which was uncharacteristic as she was usually efficient, he became suspicious and discreetly launched his own investigation, the Chronicle reports.

That revealed a hidden tab on a spreadsheet with unexplained refunds of more than £57,000 over

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