Teen plunders thousands from Freshfields
A teenager on work experience at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has been jailed for five months after stealing thousands of pounds from the magic circle law firm.
Titilayo Olaifa, who was on placement in Freshfields' accounts department through the Career Academies UK internship programme, stole 11 cheques and wrote six totaling £60,000 to herself.
Four of the cheques were stopped before they could be cashed, but two others, for a total of £13,500, were processed and the money withdrawn. Freshfields' bank has written down the cost of cashing the cheques with neither the firm or its clients having to fund the theft.
A spokesperson for Freshfields said: "We're committed as ever to the Career Academies UK programme. This is an isolated and regrettable incident."
Olaifa, from East London, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday (8 July) after pleading guilty to one count of theft and one of "fraud by abuse of position" at a hearing in June 2007.
Olaifa, now 19, completed two placements at Freshfields. The first between July and August 2005 and the second in June 2008.
The Career Academies UK internship programme provides six-week paid placement opportunities to typically middle achieving students from non-traditional backgrounds.
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Readers' comments (49)
Anon. | 10-Jul-2008 11:24 am
Thanks not very much
Magic circle law firms are massively over-subscribed for jobs, so when they offer work experience to middle achieving candidates put forward by diversity organisations it is out of a sense of charity, not necessity.
This girl was not a great ambassador for people from "non-traditional backgrounds"
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Reader | 10-Jul-2008 11:29 am
Second time unlucky?
Why did she come back for a second work experience stint, and two years later at that? Pretty unusual. I can't help but suspect that she came back with the theft in mind.
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honour | 10-Jul-2008 1:08 pm
Thieving thief.
She would have made a great lawyer...
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Bored on Thursday | 10-Jul-2008 1:53 pm
3 days?
One report I read online said that she started producing the cheques just three days in to the job - true?
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Anonymous | 10-Jul-2008 1:54 pm
Last post
Can't have been much longer - most work experience placements only last a week, and very rarely more than two.
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I.D.Spair | 10-Jul-2008 2:28 pm
Magic Circle Accounts
What ever happened to basic office procedures? Signatures? Counter signatures? Who would give a work experience intern. the company cheque book? Who authorised the raising of the cheques? Who is in charge of the accounts? Paul Daniels and Debbie Magee?
It seriously begs a lot of questions, and some P45's
IMHO...
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Dave | 10-Jul-2008 2:40 pm
I agree
Was the entire department just there on work experience?
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Anon. | 10-Jul-2008 2:49 pm
"Plunders"!
Was she a pirate queen? Or a Viking?
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DLR Soul | 10-Jul-2008 3:03 pm
Yeah
Full marks for seeking the dolla, G
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Mr Brownlow | 10-Jul-2008 3:18 pm
sticky fingers
It's human nature: people will always thieve from their fellow man and even the hand that feeds them. it doesn't matter if you're on work experience or a share partner at Latham and Watkins- you're equally capable of putting your hand in the till. can't blame Freshfields or the access scheme.
Large amounts don't grow on trees - and some people will attempt to pick a pocket or two, or in this case six.
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