A trusted worker cheated National Savings customers out of their money after discovering a flaw in the system.

National Savings & Investments had out-sourced work and Sam Barrett-Rosindale, who was employed by a call centre firm, was consequently handling their customers’ financial affairs.

He had discovered a loophole in the system and began secretly transferring money to his own bank account or cashing in customers’ Premium Bonds for himself.

To hide his tracks he deliberately entered inaccurate email addresses for his victims so they did not receive a confirmatory email detailing the transactions on their account.

Fortunately “an eagle-eyed customer spotted that more of his Premium Bonds had been cashed that he had requested” and he rang in querying it and an investigation began, said Derek Jones, prosecuting.

29-year-old Barrett-Rosindale, of Bell Road, Egremont, Wallasey, Wirral, claimed he had a new baby and ran into financial difficulties and so stole the money.

He pleaded guilty to five theft offences totalling £5,075 between May and July, 2019 and was today (Wednesday, May 12) sentenced to eight months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Sentencing the dad-of-two, Judge Anil Murray said the case involved “a high degree of trust” involving looking after accounts on behalf of the public.

“You had a baby and had financial issues and in desperation stole this money. You accept it was likely to be discovered and say in your pre-sentence report that you had discovered a flaw in the system and you exploited that.”

He told the defendant that a custodial sentence was inevitable but there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and immediate custody would have a harmful impact on others.

The judge also ordered him to carry out 20 days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work.

Mr Jones told Liverpool Crown Court that Barrett-Rosindale had been employed by The Contact Company in Tower Wharf, Birkenhead, which offers out-sourcing services to companies including National Savings and Investments.

NS & I customers rang in asking to transfer money or cash in Premium Bonds and he would access the computer system to make the transactions for them but afterwards on five occasions he transferred money to his own bank account.

The five victims have all been reimbursed.

Christopher McMaster, defending, said that the defendant had pleaded guilty, has no similar previous convictions and had been frank with the probation service. Both he and his partner are in work and they have two young children to support.