A BARMAID accused of stealing while in charge of a city centre pub has accused her late boss of trying to frame her.

Rebecca Jones said Kim Dowling, licensee of the Cricketers in Angel Street, Worcester, was often upset by bills and had once asked her to falsify a VAT return.

A jury at Worcester Crown Court was told that Mrs Dowling had died since 23-year-old Jones was interviewed by police about the missing money.

Prosecutor Stefan Kolodynski commented: “That’s an easy slur to make, an aspersion against someone who cannot dispute it.”

Jones, of Lear Close, Worcester, pleads not guilty to stealing money from the pub on the weekend of February 19 to 21 when Mrs Dowling and her husband were on holiday.

Adrian Dowling told the jury that his late wife had been the licensee for 10-and-a half years and her father had been in charge for 18 years before that.

He had set up the computer system, but did not take part in the day-to-day running of the business and his wife did all the accounting.

Jones, who admitted that she had been reprimanded for shoplifting when she was 14, said she had worked full-time at the Cricketers since the summer of 2009.

When she had cashed up after being left in charge, there was a discrepancy of only £7 or £8.

When she was told that the discrepancy was £500, she had gone to the police station to report it and claimed she had been framed.

The prosecution allege that she had been addicted to using a new fruit machine and had been spotted on CCTV playing it at 6.30am.

She told police that she had spent £100 gambling on the machine and sometimes didn’t have the strength to stop.

Questioned by Mr Kolodynski, she admitted that she had spent £160 of her own money on playing the machine in two days.

He suggested that it was significant that she had cashed up the takings in a part of the bar not covered by CCTV.

She denied that she had a problem with fruit machines, although £160 was a great deal to spend out of her weekly wage of £222. In the past, she would have a flutter a couple of times a month.

Jones said she could not explain why she had thrown away the till roll for the Saturday night takings. They had been recorded properly for the computer.

She said that on some days, Mrs Dowling would sit and cry about bills. Mr Kolodynski said: “Are you suggesting that Kim Dowling framed you because of the missing money?”

The defendant replied: “Yes.” He suggested Jones made the allegation to cover up her gambling problems.

Judge John Cavell will sum up the case after the closing speeches today and the jury will retire to consider its verdict.