A WOMAN from Bangor received a community order after defrauding a restaurant in the city in 2020.

Jamie Riley, 43, of Ffordd Coed Mawr, was accused of using a food voucher, which was donated to her for a raffle in aid of the family of a deceased man, for herself at Wood Fired Shack on High Street.

At Caernarfon Crown Court today (January 4), Riley was sentenced to a 12-month community order.

Prosecuting, Oliver King told the court of how, on September 22, 2020, Riley spoke to staff at the restaurant about a family in the city who had lost their son.

She told staff she was organising a raffle to support the family, and asked the restaurant if it wanted to make a contribution.

The restaurant donated a £40 food voucher, valid its premises, to Riley.

But the following month, on October 16, Riley was accused of using the voucher as payment for her meal in the restaurant.

King added that, while the mother of the deceased son recalls Riley attending her address with gifts, there was “no evidence that a raffle was ever organised”.

In a victim statement, Rebecca White said that, in what was already a difficult time for the family, “learning about what had happened added to this”.

Riley, a single mother of three children, had two previous convictions, both for shoplifting-related offences.

Defending, Sarah Yates accepted that this was a “despicable offence”.

She added: “What happened ultimately was unfair and unpleasant, but ultimately, the victim is the restaurant - that’s who she’s defrauded.

Yates added that one of Riley’s children suffers from severe anxiety, attends very little schooling, and that even when she does, “her mother has to be with her”.

Riley, the carer for her daughter, is in receipt of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.

With this mind, Yates invited Judge Nicola Saffman to impose a financial penalty.

Riley had committed no further offences in the intervening period.

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Sentencing, Judge Saffman told Riley that her behaviour was “reprehensible”, and that she had “no right to use that voucher”.

She sentenced Riley to 30 days’ rehabilitation activity, but refrained from imposing unpaid work or a curfew on her due to her caring issues for her daughter.

Riley will face custody, though, if she does not comply with her community order.

She is to pay £40 in compensation to Paul Cassar, of Wood Fired Shack, as well as a £95 victim surcharge and £400 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service.

This totalled £535, to be paid in monthly instalments of £20 from March 1.