A BENDIGO teenager has been convicted and fined $575 for stealing thousands of dollars from her clothing store employer at Bendigo Marketplace.
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Sharni Ruiter, 19, of Myers Flat, pleaded guilty at the Bendigo Magistrates Court on Thursday to the theft of $3976 from the Crossroads women's clothing store.
The thefts took place between December 2013 and March 2014.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Karl Mannes told the court Crossroads management detected the thefts in March and discovered 129 individual fraudulent transactions.
He told the court Ruiter would keep the receipts of customers and conduct refunds at the end of the day, taking the refunded money directly from the till.
She was responsible for opening and closing the shop and general store duties.
Ruiter admitted the thefts when questioned by police.
Ruiter told the court she had encountered serious financial hardship after gaining employment at Crossroads.
She was involved in a car accident while driving a friend's car and faced costs from the accident.
Ruiter also told the court she had dislocated her knee following an attack at night and required extensive medical treatment.
"I had no one to turn to. It was my only option," she said.
Magistrate Gregory McNamara said he accepted Ruiter had faced financial hardship at the time.
"You were in a position of trust and there needs to be a deterrent to other people considering doing the same thing," he said.