The face of a woman who stole more than £20,000 of taxpayer’s money was last night unmasked to the public - after she tried to protect her identity by arriving at court wearing a Muslim veil.
Shaheda Lorgat, 49, arrived for hearings at Preston Crown Court in Lancashire wearing a niqab after being charged with stealing the money from a college where she worked as a purchasing officer.
But after she was jailed for a year yesterday, police officers issued Lorgat’s mugshot without her face covering - and insisted that frauds like the crimes she committed would ‘not be tolerated.’
It comes after a week of controversy over the coverings - with politicians debating the issue, and the revelation that Muslim schools in Britain are forcing female pupils as young as 11 to wear burkas.
Unmasked: Shaheda Lorgat (left), 49, arrived for hearings (right) at Preston Crown Court in Lancashire wearing a niqab after being charged with stealing the money from a college where she worked as a purchasing officer
The mugshot from the time of her arrest showed Lorgat looking shamed-faced as an officer took the photograph. When she was in dock, Lorgat had her headscarf on - so her face was not obscured.
Lancashire Constabulary insisted today that it was the force's policy to release mugshots of anyone handed an immediate prison sentence, and there were no special circumstances for Lorgat’s picture.
It comes after a judge at London's Blackfriars Crown Court ruled on Monday that a Muslim woman will be allowed to stand trial while wearing a full-face veil, but must remove it while giving evidence.
Judge Peter Murphy ruled it was ‘crucial’ for jurors to be able to see a defendant's face when giving evidence. The 22 year old pleaded not guilty plea to intimidation last week while wearing a niqab.
Lorgat, of Blackburn, Lancashire, had stolen thousands of pounds of money earmarked for college equipment at Blackburn College over a almost-four year period to fund a ‘lavish lifestyle.’
She spent it on a holiday to Florida, a trip to the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, solicitors’ bills for her divorce from her ex-husband and builders’ costs including renovations to her bathroom.
Theft: Lorgat (pictured), of Blackburn, Lancashire, had stolen thousands of pounds of money earmarked for college equipment at Blackburn College over an almost-four year period to fund a 'lavish lifestyle'
Sentencing: After she was jailed for a year at Preston Crown Court (file picture), police issued her mugshot without her face covering - and insisted that frauds like the crimes she committed would 'not be tolerated'
The thefts came to light in February last year when a member of staff raised concerns over the college credit card. An internal audit uncovered financial discrepancies, and Lorgat was suspended.
Police initially feared up to £90,000 had been stolen. Among the personal items Lorgat paid for on the college account were a total of £9,031 worth of personal travel costs.
Landmark ruling: Separately, Judge Peter Murphy said on Monday that a Muslim woman must remove her full-face veil while giving evidence in court
Solicitors’ bills totalled £2,464 and there was £8,473 worth of tradesmen’s costs.
Other items included £465 worth of services at Alton Towers and £315 worth of personal holiday costs.
Also on the list was a supermarket bill of £202 and prescription sunglasses worth £153.
Lorgat - who has been sacked from her job - pleaded guilty to 19 counts of fraud by abuse of position.
She claimed she started fraudulently using the credit card when her husband left her after more than 20 years’ of marriage.
She said the break-up led to mental health problems.
Leila Ghahhary, defending, said: ‘When her husband left her, she felt a desperate need to pretend to the outside world that everything was okay.
‘Her state of mind and emotional anxiety and the stress she was (going) through at the time led her behave in a way that projected something totally different, hence the spending.’
Passing sentence, judge Mr Recorder Robert Crawford told: ‘All these things you did with public money that should have been spent on an educational institution.’
After the case Rachel Curry, director of resources at Blackburn College, said: ‘The college is satisfied with the outcome of the legal proceedings against a former colleague.
‘(She) was dismissed from our employment over 18 months ago following an investigation initially triggered by minor financial discrepancies.
‘As one of the largest and most financially-stable further education colleges in the UK, whilst the situation was unfortunate and regrettable there was no impact on the education and training of our learners.’
Lorgat’s ex-husband Mr Mohammed Lorgat said in a statement: ‘She has no connection with the Lorgat family and committed the fraud by spending on lavish lifestyle and luxuries.
‘She carried out these activities after we separated and divorced and I have had no contact with her.’
Opinion: Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured last week) said the Government should not tell women what to wear, amid ongoing debate over the use of full-face veils
A Lancashire Constabulary spokesman said: ‘Shaheda Lorgat was in a position of trust and used the credit card for her own financial gain.
‘The card was meant to be used to buy equipment for pupils with certain requirements but instead she used it to buy herself things.’
'I hope that today’s sentence shows that fraud of any kind will not be tolerated, and those who think that it’s acceptable to commit this type of crime will be brought before the courts'
PC Anita Whittle, Lancashire Constabulary
On the release of her mugshot following Lorgat's sentencing, a police spokesman told MailOnline: ‘Our policy at Lancashire Constabulary is that we release images upon custodial sentences.
‘If she got three months, we would have still released it. We release custodial pictures of anybody.
As long as it's not a suspended sentence or a community order, we as a force certainly release the images.’
PC Anita Whittle from Lancashire Constabulary said: ‘I am pleased with today’s sentence, especially given the amount of money that Shaheda Lorgat spent on Blackburn College’s credit card which was there to be used for things that benefit the college and its students.
‘I hope that today’s sentence shows that fraud of any kind will not be tolerated, and those who think that it’s acceptable to commit this type of crime will be brought before the courts.’
At Lorgat's home today, an elderly man who answered the door could not speak English, but a voice from out of view immediately told him to shut the door.
'When I've seen her in the neighbourhood she's only been wearing a head scarf and I don't think I've seen her wear a veil'
Hawa Hamid, neighbour Shaheda Lorgat
Later a relative said the family did not wish to comment.
Neighbour Hawa Hamid said: ‘I'm just very shocked by it all and I didn't know she had gone to prison.
'I only saw her the day before yesterday and she was smiling. When I've seen her in the neighbourhood she's only been wearing a head scarf and I don't think I've seen her wear a veil.
'So I don't know why she would wear one outside court. Presumably she did not want anyone to recognise her.’
GOVERNMENT SHOULDN'T TELL WOMEN WHAT TO WEAR, SAYS THERESA MAY
The sentencing of Lorgat yesterday comes as Home Secretary Theresa May said the Government should not tell women what to wear, amid ongoing debate over the use of full-face veils.
Mrs May said it is for women to ‘make a choice' about what clothes they wear, including veils, although there will be some circumstances when it will be necessary to ask for them to be removed.
The ruling in London on Monday followed calls by Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne for a debate on whether the state should step in to prevent young women having the veil imposed upon them.
That landmark judgement was just days after a college was forced into a U-turn over its ban on students wearing the veil after a petition against the policy attracted 8,000 signatures in 48 hours.
Birmingham Metropolitan College was accused of discriminating against Muslims when it ordered all students, staff and visitors to remove face coverings so people were ‘easily identifiable at all times’.
Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated his support for the West Midlands college, although Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has admitted he is ‘uneasy’ about banning full-face veils.
And it emerged today that Muslim schools all over Britain are forcing female pupils as young as 11 to wear burkas. Institutions say they are 'strict' because full-face veils are a 'desired dress code'.
No comments:
Post a Comment