Bank manager 'stole £1m in cash machine notes'

A bank manager stole almost £1 million by helping herself repeatedly to £25,000 batches of notes ready for cash machines, the Old Bailey heard today.

Ania Wadsworth, 28, was a trusted employee at a branch of Lloyds TSB for five years, but allegedly maintained a "sustained, sophisticated and calculated course of deception".

She manipulated in-house bank accounts to hide her deceit from bosses and auditors, the court was told.

Wadsworth, who started out as a team leader but was swiftly promoted to operations manager at the Golders Green branch, is accused of stealing £921,716 between 2002 and 2007.

When the alleged theft was uncovered in March 2007 Wadsworth admitted stealing about £870,000 but said she did it under duress from her former boyfriend Keith Preddie, 30, who was "from the wrong side of the tracks".

Wadsworth claimed Preddie intimidated her to steal in order to pay off his spiralling drug debts. He is accused of banking more than £145,000 of the stolen cash between 2003 and 2005.

She said she also gave him her wages, between £1,000 and £1,800 a month, and was forced to take out three loans.

Wadsworth, of Archway, denies theft. Preddie, of Romford, denies money-laundering. The trial continues.