DESPITE a plea for leniency a woman who lives in Purfleet has been jailed after she played a role in theft from a charity.

Mum of two Oluwabunmi Tejuoso, 44, of Church Hollow, Purfleet, who is a former childminder who was based in Orsett, was found guilty at Basildon Crown Court of laundering more than £280,000 of stolen money from the unnamed charity. She had pleaded her innocence but was convicted by a jury.

She made an emotive plea to the court expressing her remorse and saying she realised she had done wrong. Her children sent in similar messages, asking for clemency.

However, the pleas fell on deaf ears and Recorder Sarah Clarke QC jailed her for 30 months.

Basildon Crown Court heard that £282,745.24 was transferred into Tejuoso's bank account at some point between November 2016 and April 2017, and within "minutes" she had transferred it into other accounts belonging to or managed by her.

The court heard that the company organising the charity's funds had managed to freeze the account, and most of the money was recovered, but £30,000 was lost and remains missing.