A TRUSTED supermarket supervisor left thousands of pounds in cash at the door of an office so a masked man could steal it.

Karen McAfferty, a mum of seven, had done it because she was frightened of a former boyfriend who had been violent to her, Mold Crown Court was told.

McAfferty, 39, of Y Wern, Caia Park in Wrexham, admitted stealing £7,500 from the Co-op in Prince Charles Road in October last year.

Her explanation why she had done it - coming under pressure from a man she refused to name - was accepted by the prosecution.

Judge Phillip Hughes said he would not send her to prison immediately.

He adjourned for a pre-sentence report and said he had a suspended sentence in mind.

Prosecutor Elen Owen told the court McAfferty had worked at the Co-op for seven years and for the last four had been a supervisor responsible for cashing up.

The money would be placed in a safe in the office and on October 8 last year she cashed up, left the office to have a cigarette with a colleague and on her return shouted 'the money's gone' and police were called.

She told officers she had followed all procedures and denied being involved in the theft.

But a CCTV film was analysed and that showed she had placed the money on the floor and not on top of the safe as she had claimed. It also showed a man with a hood grab the cash.

In February, she was re-interviewed at her own request and said a person she refused to name had committed the theft and she had helped.

She had a brief relationship with the man during which he had been violent towards her and had threatened to harm her and her children if she did not help.

McAfferty said she had not received any of the money and Mrs Owen said her basis of plea was accepted by the Crown.

McAfferty had previous convictions including some for dishonesty. She was now unemployed.

Defending barrister Jayne La Grua said it was accepted she had come under pressure and had been threatened.

She was a woman with seven children aged between six and 19, the father of the children had left her and then she had a brief relationship with a violent man.

The judge said the case crossed the custody threshold because of the breach of trust.

But it would not be an immediate custodial sentence because it was a one-off offence, she had come under pressure, she had a huge family to look after and it would not be in the public interest to send her into custody.

McAfferty was bailed in the meantime.