A former evidence officer from Dorset Police has admitted stealing nearly £15,000 in seized cash from the force.

Lisa Arnold, whose address was given as Benlease Way, Swanage, appeared before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, December 7.

The 52-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of ‘theft by employee’ - the charge relating to 17 incidents between October 14, 2018 and March 19, 2022.

Elizabeth Valera, prosecuting, said Arnold had worked at Dorset Police since 2016 before being transferred to the evidence department in 2018. Her role saw her responsible for logging exhibits of seized items - often involving cash in clear plastic envelopes.

Cash held within these envelopes was often ‘uncounted’ and marked as such.

Valera said that, in police interview, Arnold said she would ‘look for uncounted exhibits of cash and open the envelope from the bottom’ she would then remove a quantity of cash and ‘reseal the envelope with sellotape’.

As many of the exhibits were uncounted, these incidents went unnoticed ‘for some time’.

The court heard Arnold would place the cash inside a Tesco bag within her wardrobe before depositing it into her bank account.

When police checked Arnold’s bank accounts they found ‘significant deposits’ - the court was told Arnold also admitted, in police interview, to ‘stealing from her husband's business’ which accounted for part of the large sums.

Arnold accepted stealing cash on 17 occasions from Dorset Police with a total value of £14,494.20.

Elizabeth Valera said the offences risked ‘undermining’ confidence in the police force and were serious enough to warrant being dealt with in Crown Court. She suggested the starting point for a custodial sentence could be two years in jail.

Lee Christmas, mitigating, made no objection to that request but said there would be ‘plenty of mitigation’ to be heard.

Mrs Romana Phillips, chairman of the bench, adjourned the case to be heard before Bournemouth Crown Court for sentencing on Friday, January 6 for sentencing.

A pre-sentence report will be prepared by probation in relation to the sentencing: Lisa Arnold has been granted unconditional bail.