Halifax worker sentenced for stealing thousands to fund gambling addiction

• ITV News Meridian's Richard Slee reports from Bournemouth Crown Court

A bank worker who stole £12,000 from customers' accounts has been given 180 hours of community service.

Jan Olivier, 49, took the money while he worked at Halifax in Poole, Dorset.

It was claimed in court that Olivier, who had worked at the bank for 17 years, had a gambling addiction and huge debts.

The alarm was raised when the family of one of the victims noticed money was missing after the great grandfather had died.

Edward Teggin, 89, died in June 2022, a few days after being knocked down by a careless driver at a junction in Poole.

An investigation began after his family queried a transfer of £9,000 at the bank a couple of months earlier.

Three further cases of fraud were uncovered.

The judge told Olivier that he had abused his position of trust by targeting the old and vulnerable.

Edward Teggin's daughter says he should have been sent to prison.

"There is no justice at all. I think it should have been harsher especially as it was all elderly people it affected," said Jackie Greenslade.

Jackie was tearful when she read her impact statement to the court.

She said: "I'd have liked them to have thrown the book at him, and for him to have had time in prison to think about what he's done to elderly people."

In a statement, Halifax said: "We take protecting our customers' money extremely seriously and co-operated fully with the authorities, while ensuring there was no financial loss to customers."

Recorder Eleanor Hourigan ordered Olivier to complete a community order of 180 hours of unpaid work.

She said that because he had paid the money back and shown genuine remorse he had avoided a suspended prison sentence.

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