A mum who stole thousands of pounds in cash from the tills of the Marks and Spencer store where she worked has tearfully apologised and promised to “do everything” asked of her. 38-year-old mum Kayleigh McDonnell took the money while “desperate” in what a judge labelled an “extremely sad case”. The stealing incidents led to her being let go from her job after decades of service and ambitions of progressing through the ranks within the retail giant. Kayleigh was left in tears as she faced up to her crimes and apologised in court on Monday, June 23. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday afternoon that McDonnell had worked at Marks and Spencer on New Mersey Shopping Park in Speke for 20 years, being employed as a team leader, before management noticed a pattern of “unusually high cash losses” during May 2024. An investigation, which reviewed CCTV footage, revealed that the 38-year-old had repeatedly scanned items through the tills before simply removing bank notes from within. Jonathan Keane, prosecuting, detailed how the defendant was found to have done this 12 times between May 14 and June 1 of last year, using her “no sale function” override code in order to gain access to the cash drawers. This included four thefts on May 15 alone. McDonnell, who has no previous convictions, was subsequently suspended from her role and thereafter “declined to engage in internal disciplinary proceedings” before her dismissal. However, having attended a later police interview, she was described as being “emotional and crying throughout” as she confessed to her crimes. While she was initially charged on the basis that she had pocketed a total of 拢12,067, McDonnell maintains that she only stole around 拢7,000 from her employer. Stella Hayden, defending, told the court: “I invite the court to treat this offending, serious as it is, as out of character. “It can be properly said that these were not actions motivated by greed or a desire to live a lavish lifestyle. This was a woman working hard, looking after four children and still unable to meet her financial obligations. “Unfortunately, her partner was not in work in this period. The financial responsibility for the household fell upon her shoulders. She was simply unable to provide basic needs, such as food and the like. Ms McDonnell was being chased relentlessly by debt collection agencies. She was reliant on food banks simply to put food on the table for her family. “This was a case where she was always going to be caught. It smacks of her desperation to take money in the way that she did. Ms McDonnell is totally ashamed of her actions. “She worked hard to reach the position of team leader. She tells me that she was on a career path to be a store manager. She was proud of her job and would work long shifts. She tells me that, at times, she would have been better off on benefits, but she chose to work to set an example to her family.” Ms Hayden added of her client’s disciplinary proceedings: “She did not receive notification of the hearing. She would have attended and admitted her offending, had she been aware of it. “She has three biological children and also cares for her partner’s child. She had her oldest child aged 23 and brought him up on her own for the first six years. She is desperately worried about the impact of this offending on her family, and has obviously lost her employment as a result of her offending. “She is the primary carer for four children, including a five-month-old baby. She knows how serious this is and she has already lost a great deal.” McDonnell admitted one count of theft. Appearing in the dock wearing a black t-shirt, she appeared emotional and wiped tears away with a tissue throughout the hearing before being handed an 18-month community order. Sentencing, Recorder Louis Browne KC said: “This is an extremely sad case. At the time of the thefts, you were a team leader in that store and had been employed for a number of years. “It was found that you were involved in a total of 12 incidents when you withdrew cash from the till drawers without any good reason. You worked for 20 years with an unblemished record and aspired to progress within Marks and Spencer. “You and your partner were struggling to feed your children. You told the probation officer that you owed about 拢25,000, and your wages did not cover the cost of daily living. “It is right to say that you are a woman of previous good character. In consequence, this must have been a very great shock to you, and your family and friends, to find yourself in the position that you are in. While there is no doubt that there was a degree of planning and a breach of trust in this case, there is genuine remorse and you were not motivated by greed. “This is not a soft option. If you do not comply with the order, you will be brought back to court and be punished for any breaches.” McDonnell replied “sorry, I will do everything”. She was also told to complete 40 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days.