Woman jailed over £36,000 theft from Leeds synagogue

Susan Rudette began taking money from the United Hebrew Congregation in Shadwell Lane, Leeds, initially out of greed, to fund a lifestyle she could not afford, including a new kitchen.

But Sheffield Crown Court heard yesterday she continued when her family later faced financial pressures following the tragic death of her husband from cancer.

Rudette, 43, of Hawksnest Gardens East, Alwoodley, Leeds, admitted five charges of fraud and three of theft involving a total of £36,754 between November 2007 and April last year.

Judge Rosalind Coe QC told her there had to be an immediate jail term because of the gross breach of trust which had several aggravating features.

The charitable organisation was funded by donations and she must have been aware from her job, both administrative and pastoral, that she was depriving those who would have otherwise have benefited.

“When it began, you and your husband, then well, were both in work. You were living beyond your means and used these ill-gotten gains to supplement your income.” The money was spent on luxury items such as holidays, a mobile phone bill and the new kitchen.

At one stage Rudette had forged the signature of a co-worker wrongly causing suspicion to fall on her, and her offending continued until she was caught.

The judge acknowledged that during 2008 Rudette and her family had faced the tragic death of her husband which had left her with financial pressures but rather than face up to those, she compounded the situation by continuing her lifestyle.

Jonathan Sharp, prosecuting, told the court Rudette began working for the United Hebrew Congregation as an office administrator in 2004 in a position of trust, handling all the cash that came in, paying bills and keeping the accounts and records. She was also a co-signator of the organisation’s cheques.

Investigation revealed she had taken money in four different ways. The first was making cheques out for her own benefit forging her co-signator’s name, and these included one for £1,575 used to pay her son’s Orange mobile phone bill and £2,600 to a supplier of fitted kitchens.

She accounted for the payments as repairs to the Synagogue or offices, for maintenance of a Jewish cemetery or for paying legitimate bills.

Rudette also stole a £647.50 cash payment for a room hire, under banked other amounts which passed through her hands and in March and June 2009 inflated her salary by an extra £1,000 each month.

It was one of those payments that led to the discovery of her dishonesty.

Mr Sharp said even after her suspension in April last year she had remotely accessed the office computer trying to cover up what she had done.

Inquiries showed in spite of reduced income after her husband’s death she continued to run two cars, subscribed to Sky, went on holiday and ate out once a week.

Rodney Ferm, representing Rudette, said she felt obvious shame and remorse particularly for the impact on her children.

Many friends had ostracised her although others had written references on her behalf.

Her father, a retired solicitor had repaid £20,000 to the Congregation and the bank covered the rest of the loss.

She now accepted living beyond her means and foolishly trying to keep up standards for the family even after her husband’s death. He had passed away without life insurance and leaving his financial affairs in a mess.

The family home was already up for sale and prison would mean bankruptcy for her.