stole more than $10,000 from the department after two years of making fraudulent documentation.

Wendy Ebbin 41, of Happy Valley Lane, Devonshire pleaded guilty to making a false document on February 14, 1998, namely her rent Financial Assistance verification form.

She also pleaded guilty to knowingly and fraudulently uttering a fraudulent document on February 14, 1998.

Ebbin also pleaded guilty to intent to defraud an employee of the Department of Financial Assistance between March 14 to March 16, 1998.

She also pleaded guilty to making a false document, a Bank of Bermuda cheque, on February 23 last year.

She also pleaded guilty to knowingly and fraudulently uttering a false document, a Bank of Bermuda cheque, on March 6 last year.

Also on March 6 last year, she pleaded guilty to intent to defraud an employee of the Bank of Bermuda to deliver $2,000 by falsely saying that a Bank of Bermuda cheque was a genuine document.

Ebbin was not represented when she appeared in Magistrates' Court and the Court heard that the total value that she had fraudulently obtained from the above six charges was $7,712.

A further 28 similar offences resulting in $2,371 being falsely obtained were also asked to be taken into consideration.

The Court also heard that Ebbin admitted to Police that she stole the money to pay her bills.

Acting Senior Magistrate Edward King said: "But for the fact that you have two young children, I would have remanded you in custody.'' He then told her that he was ordering a social inquiry report so that an inquiry could be made into her social and financial background.

Mr. King told her: "This is a serious matter. This is the taxpayers' money from which you have benefited.'' Ebbin was then released on $1,000 bail with one surety for a like sum and she will be sentenced in June.