A COUPLE used forged timesheets to dishonestly pocket more than £2,000 in wages.

Newbury magistrates heard how the fiddle was carried out by Michaela Drawater, 29, of Fountains Close, Basingstoke, and Carl Wood, aged 26, of Berkeley Drive, Old Hatch Warren.

Both pleaded guilty to three charges of obtaining property by deception and asked for a further seven offences to be taken into consideration.

The court heard that Wood started work for Tech Direct, an employment agency based in Aldermaston, in February of last year.

He was sent to work at Allport Packaging, a warehouse at Silchester.

Employees were given a timesheet every week on which they had to list the number of hours worked.

The timesheet would then be signed by the supervisor at Allport Packaging and returned to Tech Direct.

Prosecutor John Williams said Wood stopped working for the firm, but continued to send in timesheets, with the supervisor's signature forged by his then partner, Michaela Drawater.

"It became clear that although he was still being paid, he had left the company some time ago," said Mr Williams.

The court heard the total amount dishonestly obtained was £2,385. The money was paid into Drawater's bank account.

Michael Davis, defending, said Drawater had two children and considerable debts, but no previous convictions.

"He told her in the first instance that he had not been able to get his timesheet signed in time, and she agreed to forge the signature," said Mr Davis.

"She allowed herself to be drawn into this, which she bitterly regrets. She did not spend the money on herself. It all went on household bills."

He described the deception as "relatively unsophisticated", and said he found it astonishing that a firm could be so easily deceived.

The court heard Wood and Drawater have now split up.

Both were sentenced to 100 hours community service and told to pay compensation. Drawater was ordered to pay £100 and Wood was told to pay £2,285.