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| Pontypridd librarian jailed for stealing Aberfan book | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A librarian stole books from her workplace - including one on the Aberfan disaster - and tried to sell them online for up to £400. | |
| Elizabeth Macregor, 57, burned several books in a bid to escape justice. | Elizabeth Macregor, 57, burned several books in a bid to escape justice. |
| Macregor, of Hirwaun, stole hundreds of books from Pontypridd Library in Rhondda Cynon Taff. | |
| She was jailed for eight months at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after being found guilty of two counts of theft and perverting the course of justice. | |
| Her employers noticed books had started to go missing and Macregor was suspected of being the culprit. | Her employers noticed books had started to go missing and Macregor was suspected of being the culprit. |
| A police investigation found some of the missing titles on sale on her eBay account, including the book Aberfan - A Disaster and its Aftermath by Joan Miller which she tried to sell for £400. | |
| When officers searched her home, several hundred books were recovered - some were fire damaged after Macregor had tried to burn them and others were found in her green recycling bin. | |
| She claimed to have bought them from various libraries which had sold them as excess stock. | She claimed to have bought them from various libraries which had sold them as excess stock. |
| Judge Richard Twomlow said Macregor told the jury "a catalogue of ridiculous lies" during her trial. | Judge Richard Twomlow said Macregor told the jury "a catalogue of ridiculous lies" during her trial. |
| Kathryn Lane, defending, described Macregor as a "lonely individual" who had suffered from a number of mental and physical health problems. | |
| Since being sacked by the library service, Macregor had found a new job at Public Health Wales, she said. | |
| Sentencing her, Judge Twomlow said she had stolen from her employer in a "calculating and careful way". | Sentencing her, Judge Twomlow said she had stolen from her employer in a "calculating and careful way". |
| He described the book on Aberfan as "more valuable in historic and cultural terms than financial". | He described the book on Aberfan as "more valuable in historic and cultural terms than financial". |
| The judge said the book was "mercifully" relatively undamaged and had been restored. | The judge said the book was "mercifully" relatively undamaged and had been restored. |
| Macregor was given six months in prison for each of the thefts - to be served concurrently - and two months for perverting the course of justice, which will be served consecutively. | Macregor was given six months in prison for each of the thefts - to be served concurrently - and two months for perverting the course of justice, which will be served consecutively. |
| Richard Killick, senior prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Any matter involving a breach of trust is very serious. | Richard Killick, senior prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Any matter involving a breach of trust is very serious. |
| "In this case, however, it was twofold in that Macregor breached the trust of her employer and that of the community she served." | "In this case, however, it was twofold in that Macregor breached the trust of her employer and that of the community she served." |