A thief who stole more than $3,400 from a charity avoided jail after her lawyer claimed she was ashamed of herself.

Colette Lundy, 51, abused her position as clerk of Diversity Institute Bermuda — a group raising awareness about how to deal with people from diverse backgrounds — by buying personal items with the charity's credit card, Magistrates' Court heard.

Lundy, who was fined $2,000 on Thursday, committed the theft six years ago, but left the Island for America when charity bosses became suspicious and launched an investigation.

She was arrested at L.F. Wade International Airport earlier this month when she returned to visit her family, and admitted the offence at court.

Three years ago, The Royal Gazette reported an investigation had been launched into the disappearance of cash from DIB and that then chairwoman Cris Valdes-Dapena pointed to a "misappropriation of funds" by a former employee.

On Thursday, Crown counsel Maria Sofianos said that in 2001 Lundy was in charge of the day-to-day running of DIB as the charity's only full-time employee.

She asked for a charity credit card to be set up, and then used that to buy things for herself from various shops.

Defending, Elizabeth Christopher said Lundy, who now lives in Nevada, had paid back the money she stole.

"She's ashamed by the way in which she has left her reputation in Bermuda," she said.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: "I'm not going to send her to jail. The only real option left is a fine."