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Stolen Goods Sale Makes Big Loss

April 09, 2009 | Other

Rare Elvis memorabilia, bought with nearly US$900,000 a fan stole from her employer, has raised a tenth of the original amount at auction. Julie Wall an Elvis Super-Fanatic of Sleaford, Lincolnshire (right) was jailed for three years in 2005 for stealing from North Kesteven Council. Wall, 50, bought rare Elvis records, Christmas cards and magazines with money taken from parking meters. But a confiscation hearing at Lincoln Crown Court heard only about one-tenth US$84,000 had been raised by the items' sale.
The court heard Wall had paid inflated prices for the thousands of records, CDs, DVDs, and the sale of the collection - along with her only other asset, a Vauxhall Astra - raised just a fraction of the original sum. Unfortunately her Elvis purchases were not unique collector's items that would have been worth high values. As a result the judge revised the original confiscation order against her down from £597,963 to just £58,299.

Wall took 10 years to steal the money in pay-and-display car-park takings. Her original trial heard she would put pound coins in her handbag each day, walk out unchallenged and then spend almost all the money at record fairs and in online auctions. Wall, who has been released from prison, was declared bankrupt shortly after being jailed and is now claiming Job Seekers' Allowance.
She now lives with her parents and has refused to sign an undertaking to hand over any future inheritance or windfall, the court heard.
The council said it had received the cash that had been raised and was now considering civil action.

Source:Elvis Information Network