Kayla Joy Ashcroft of Brassall pleads guilty to stealing from Oxley Nursery

A former Ipswich school captain was on track to lead a successful career in business, but “threw it all away” when she stole nearly $7500 from her employer in just 3.5 months.

Kayla Joy Ashcroft of Brassall. Picture: Facebook

A former Ipswich school captain, now university student studying a bachelor of business, has faced sentence in court for stealing more than $7400 from her employer over a period of 3.5 months.

Kayla Joy Ashcroft, 25, of Brassall faced sentence in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 6 after pleading guilty to stealing from her employer Oxley Nursery.

Police prosecutor Harry Coburn said the young mum began pocketing cash from the small business almost immediately after accepting a position there in January this year.

As a company administrator, she had full access to Oxley Nursery’s accounting software and carried out tasks such as paying staff wages and depositing weekly cash earnings into the company’s business bank account.

“On the 20th of April this year, one of the staff members found discrepancies … in the defendant’s timesheets,” Mr Coburn said.

“Internal investigations revealed that between the 24th of January, the date of the defendant being hired, and the 14th of April that year the defendant had made several overpayments to herself that were clearly not in error.”

He said Ashcroft had used the payroll management system to her own advantage by overpaying herself $2482, including for days and times when she was not at work.

On March 24, Ashcroft pocketed an additional $4938.90 – the business’ weekly cash takings. The court heard she was supposed to deposit the amount into the company’s business bank account, but never did.

The business therefore suffered a total loss of $7420.90 as a direct result of Ashcroft’s thefts.

Kayla Joy Ashcroft, 25, leaving the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. Picture: Jessica Baker

Mr Coburn said the matter was reported to police on May 10 and the Ipswich mum voluntarily attended the police station in September, making full admissions to the offence and offering to return the money to the victim business in instalments.

As at Tuesday, no restitution had been paid to the business.

Defence lawyer Faye Austen-Brown told the court her client was pregnant when she committed the offence and had, as such, been advised to stop taking medication for her bipolar disorder.

She noted Ashcroft was now a single mother and “deeply ashamed” of her actions. She said she fully intended to repay Oxley Nursery and had explained this via email to one of its employees.

Ms Austen-Brown said Ashcroft had great employment prospects, having completed Year 12 as a school captain, as well as a Certificate 3 in business administration and a Certificate 4 in accounting.

The court heard she also started, but had not yet finished, studying a bachelor of business at the Queensland University of Technology.

Ms Austen-Brown asked Magistrate Kyna Morice to consider Ashcroft’s young age, early plea, personal circumstances, and limited and dated criminal history when deciding an appropriate penalty.

Ms Morice noted Ashcroft’s prospects and education, but said she “threw it all away” when she stole from her employer.

She said she was of the belief it was unlikely the young mum would come before the courts again as she was clearly remorseful and willing to repay the funds she stole.

Ashcroft was sentenced to 2.5 years’ probation and ordered to pay $7420.90 restitution to Oxley Nursery.

No conviction was recorded.