A Kingston postgraduate student who stole more than £5,000 from her part-time job to pay off student debts avoided jail this week and was instead handed a 250 hour community order.

Tafadzwa Emily Ndagurwa, 23, an MA student in Pharmaceutical Science with Management Studies, pleaded guilty to taking £5,517 cash from The Money Shop in Castle Street, Kingston, to repay £4,000 of debts run up when taking her first degree at Kingston University.
Prosecutor John Shepherd told Kingston Magistrates’ Court on 17 February that Ndagurwa had worked at the shop since March 2005, and stole the money by cashing fraudulent cheques in October and November last year.

The court heard that Ndagurwa confessed immediately after an internal investigation uncovered the missing money, and confirmed her guilt in a subsequent police interview.  A police search of her house recovered £963 in cash.

Sara Mitchell, defending, told magistrates the student had written to The Money Shop asking to work there again to pay off the outstanding money, but recognised that this was “clearly not appropriate”.
In the letter to her former employers, Ndagurwa apologised for her actions and made it clear that she was willing to pay back the remaining £4554.

With Ndagurwa’s parents watching from the public gallery, Ms Mitchell said the student felt “a great sense of shame that she has brought not only on herself but also on her family.  She recognises that she was in a position of trust.  She is deeply sorry.”

At a previous hearing on 27 January, magistrates warned Ndagurwa that all options, including jail, were on the table.  Since then, the defence said, she had been “incredibly worried” about the sentence.
Arguing against a prison term, Ms Mitchell said her client had no previous convictions or cautions, and had received a character reference from Kingston University.  She said: “I ask the court to accept that it was an out of character offence, an opportunistic offence.”

Sentencing the student to an 18 month community order, including six months supervision and 250 hours of unpaid work, lead magistrate Sharon Eden said she had “seriously considered sending [her] to custody today”, but took into account her previous good character, quick admission of guilt and expressions of remorse.

The court was told that Ndagurwa, who lives with her parents in Chigwell, Essex, could repay the money with help from her family and after finding a full time job if she  completes her master’s degree this autumn.

Magistrates ordered her to repay the remaining £4554 in monthly instalments of £150, starting within 28 days of the hearing.

A Kingston University spokesperson refused to say whether Ndagurwa would be allowed to continue with her degree, but said: “The University does not instigate disciplinary action until the outcome of court proceedings is known. Now that this case has concluded the University will be investigating the matter and taking appropriate action.”