A teacher has scammed Asda out of almost £3,000 by using a discount code that listed items at 1p.
Kirstie Reynolds used a code at self-checkout machines, which was made to reduce the price of rotisserie chicken to a penny.
Ms Reynolds purchased items worth £1,700 in one store, and upwards of £1,030 in another.
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She used the trick repetitively between February 25, 2023 and March 30, 2023.
Ms Reynolds pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at South Shields Magistrates' Court in June 2023.
She was sentenced to a 12-month community order, ordered to pay a £400 fine, £3,000 compensation to Asda, a victim surcharge of £160 and prosecution costs of £85.
Ms Reynolds, who worked at the Prudhoe West Academy in Northumberland, was referred to the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA).
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The teacher was ordered to pay £3,000 in compensation to Asda
| AsdaThe panel decided last month there was a "public interest" in keeping her as a teacher.
The TRA said Ms Reynolds has started a new job in an Early Years setting following her convictions, where she developed several skills to teach special educational needs and disability (SEND) students.
She had received an invitation to join a local authority SEND steering group.
In her evidence to the panel, the teacher said she has spent "every day for the last two years reflecting on how much her actions had hurt and negatively impacted her family, colleagues, and the profession".
The TRA explained that she had taken full responsibility for her actions and portrayed significant insight and remorse.
The panel said: "From the start, I could see how devastated and remorseful Kirstie was.
"In my opinion, to remove Kirstie's teaching registration would be a disservice to the teaching profession and the many children and families she could positively impact... in the future."
Marc Cavey, the author of a report on Ms Reynolds on behalf of the Secretary of State, wrote: "A prohibition order would prevent Ms Reynolds from teaching."
The teacher previously worked at Prudhoe West Academy
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Mr Cavey explained that a prohibition order would "clearly deprive the public of her contribution to the profession for the period that it is in force".
He added: "I have concluded that a prohibition order is not proportionate or in the public interest.
"While the misconduct found in this case was undoubtedly serious, and is likely to damage the reputation of the profession, I do not think that preventing Ms Reynolds from working as a teacher would serve any useful purpose.
"I consider therefore that the publication of the findings made would be sufficient to send an appropriate message to the teacher as to the standards of behaviour that were not acceptable and that the publication would meet the public interest requirement of declaring proper standards of the profession."
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