A prominent Launceston businesswoman will be sentenced for stealing almost $60,000 from a community organization. The woman, Joscelyn Sue Littlejohn, 51, of East Launceston, former gambler, pleaded guilty to the crime. She was tried in the Launceston Criminal Court on the charge of stealing money while working for the Rotary Youth Exchange program.
She did it by making out 30 Rotary checks to herself and deposited a check from a student into her own account, along with money from other Rotary branches. No one is sure why exactly she did it. Some suspect is has something to do with her former gambling addiction, that might have been renewed.
Littlejohn, who has worked for other top organizations including Launceston's CityProm and the National Trust. She told the court that she worked for the Rotary Youth Exchange Program while suffering from the addiction. Whether there is a connection to where the money went no one is sure.
The prosecutor in the case, John Ransom described what Littlejohn had done as crafty. Her defense attorney, Michael Brett said his client was remorseful for what this crime had done to the affected parties, and the shame it brought her family. The court was told she and her husband sold their house to repay their debts, left from the crime, and were left penniless. Littlejohn has been place in custody until Friday, when she will be sentenced for the crime of 17 counts of forgery. |
