Patricia Anne Grant was charged after alleged thefts were reported from MacLeod Lorway Group in New Glasgow in August 2013.
She pleaded not guilty to the charge and the trial began Thursday in Pictou Provincial Court with 17 customers of MacLeod Lorway taking the witness stand testifying they had paid their insurance premiums in August 2013 with either a cheque or cash, but were later notified their payment could not be located.
The majority of the customers said they personally visited MacLeod Lorway and handed the money to a woman at the front reception desk. Some people positively identified the receptionist as Grant while others said they were unsure if she was the woman who took their payment.
Many of the witnesses said they didn’t notice what the receptionist did with their money afterwards, but they were all issued receipts. Under cross-examination, the witnesses also testified that they didn’t notice if there was a safe near the reception desk.
Crown attorney Bill Gorman entered multiple pieces of evidence that included receipts from MacLeod Lorway for payment from these customers. The majority of the receipts were signed by Grant, who used her maiden name.
The day-long trial ended Thursday with testimony from a Bank of Montreal employee who explained the procedure of accounting for automatic bank machine and night deposits.
Christie Kirendall, a financial service co-ordinator with the Bank of Montreal in New Glasgow, said customers have the option of making an after-hours deposit by placing a certain type of bag in the night deposit door that can contain a deposit slip, cash and cheques or they can enter the deposit slip into the bank machine in an envelope and then drop the cash and cheques in a bag in the night deposit door.
If the deposit slip is put into the bank machine and the money is placed into the night deposit box, both must balance or the business will be contacted about the discrepancy.
She said this is a common banking practice and in her 12 years at the bank, she has never seen a deposit bag get caught inside the night deposit door and not be able to be located.
The trial will continue Sept. 11 in Pictou Provincial Court during which time some MacLeod Lorway employees are expected to testify and the defence will have an opportunity to call witnesses.
