British woman jailed in north Cyprus, 21 years after she committed a crime

A British woman was sentenced to a year in prison in north Cyprus on Wednesday for a theft from her employer, more than 20 years after she committed the crime.

The decision was handed down at the Kyrenia high criminal court on Wednesday. 

Lesley Frances Huosem was heard to had stolen 986 pre-revaluation Turkish lira – equivalent to 28,400TL (€904.68) in today’s money while working as an accountant in her work place located in Kyrenia in 2002.

She was subsequently arrested following the theft but fled the country illegally after she was granted bail and was arrested 15 years later on her return to the country in 2023.

She was released on bail again before her sentence. 

The judge mentioned that the crime of stealing by the employee for which the defendant was tried carries a 7-year prison term.

The judge stated that the defendant returned 916 TL of money, but that the employer was not compensated because the loss corresponds to 28,000 TL of today value.

The judge stated that the crime committed by the defendant was a crime that tended to become widespread and that it shook the trust between the employer and the employee.

Evaluating all the facts, the judges sentenced the defendant to one year in prison.