Ballarat woman charged with $500,000 employer theft

Updated November 2 2012 - 2:19pm, first published July 23 2010 - 3:02pm

A BALLARAT woman allegedly stole $522,000 from her former employer to feed her gambling habit, a court heard yesterday.Jennifer Berrigan, 52, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates Court charged with theft.Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Barry Hills said Berrigan was working at Summerfield Wines in Moonambel from 2006 to 2009.He said it was during this time she allegedly sent internet money transactions from the business account to her personal account to fund a gambling addiction.The alleged theft was discovered by a bank audit this month."It allegedly occurred regularly over a four-year period to the value of $522,000," he said."We believe she set an automatic transfer up, so it has continued to July 2010."Detective Senior Constable Hills said when charged by police yesterday, Berrigan was co-operative.Magistrate Michelle Hodgson granted Berrigan bail with a number of conditions.These include that she not go within 200m of Summerfield Wines or attend any poker machine venues.She was also required to surrender her passport and notify police of any change to her current address.Berrigan will return to court on September 2 for a commital mention.

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