Assistant Justice Carlisle Greaves gave a ?substantial discount? in imprisoning a bank manager to nine months after she admitted stealing over $200,000 after hearing the Warwick woman had paid back the money.

Mr. Justice Greaves said he drastically cut the sentence for Clara Jay Eberley-Belgrave, 44, because of her open cooperation with detectives, her guilty plea and the payment of restitution to the Bank of Bermuda.

Eberley-Belgrave, 44, of Purvis Estate Road, Warwick pleaded guilty to stealing $204,975.60 from the Bank of Bermuda between January 1, 1997 and February 20, 2002.

Crown counsel Graveney Bannister told the court that she used her using her personal access codes as an operations manager to transfer funds into her mother?s and husband?s accounts, which were promptly moved into her personal account. Her family were unaware of the fraud.

Detective Inspector Robin Sherwood testified that during his 18 years Eberley-Belgrave?s case was ?the first time ever that he had seen someone cooperate so fully, so genuinely?.

She paid all of the money back before she was formally charged with the crime, using money owed to her by the bank after 21 years of employment.

Lawyer Delroy Duncan told the court that ?a series of mishaps had befallen the Eberley-Belgrave family to explain the offences?.

From 1995 to 1997 she had three to four miscarriages. ?She had a lot of emotional pressure on her,? he said.

In 1998, her grandmother was put into Lefroy House, and Eberley-Belgrave bore sole responsibility of the funeral costs.

In 1999, her brother was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, and she supported two households. She paid all of her mother and sister?s expenses, he said.

Another brother had to be flown to a clinic for serious back and spine surgery. She said she had to pay the Lady Cubitt Compassionate Association (LCCA) back for her brother?s medical expenses.

But in his ruling, Mr. Justice Greaves said he gave little weight to the family obligation explanation.

?I am comfortable with a sentence of 18 months, however, I give substantial weight to her guilty plea, and weight to the cooperation of the accused to investigators.?

He said that such discounts would bring her sentence within the ten to 12 month sentence as suggested by the prosecution.

He said he was ?impressed that the accused had repaid all of the sums taken in full? and got a ?substantial discount?, adding: ?In all circumstances, I give you a sentence of nine months.?

Eberley-Belgrave told the court:?First I apologise to the Bank of Bermuda for violating the trust that they had in me,? she said.

She began to apologise to her family, but became emotionally upset, began to cry and needed a glass of water.

After composing herself again she said: ?Second, I apologise to my husband and child for the shame and embarrassment I caused to the whole family.?

?Third, I apologise to A.S. Cooper and Son, who gave me a second chance in life,? she said.

Mr. Bannister had asked for a between ten to 12 months to ?reflect the feelings of civilised society about the crime in question?.

The crimes were worse, he said, as she had been placed in a position of trust at the Bank.

In addition, he said, she had to go to prison as she was not only stealing from her employer, but was stealing from the public purse.

?The prevalence of such offences adversely affect the social fabric of Bermuda,? he said.

He also reminded Mr. Justice Greaves of the Court of Appeal?s decision to sentence Clayton Busby to 12 months imprisonment for stealing.

Busby was a former clerk who stole $159,493 from the Accountant General?s office.

A.S. Cooper and Sons employees Inara Kalnins said Eberley-Belgrave had been reporting to her in inventory control for over a year.

Although Ms Kalnins did not know about Eberley-Belgrave?s trial when she started working at Cooper?s, Eberley-Belgrave was ?responsible for entering the value of inventory of all merchandise into the system?.

And jewellery buyer at Cooper?s, Maria Howes, said she had been told by their human resources manager about what happened at Eberley-Belgrave?s last job.

?I do not mistrust her in any way. She has always been a great help,? Ms Howes said.