Aristocrat's plea to spare thief

Lady Alice Douglas at the former St Curig's Church in 2004

A personal assistant to an aristocrat has received a suspended jail sentence for stealing from her.

Samantha Murray, 35, from Llanrwst, admitted theft of £300, discovered after Lady Alice Douglas installed CCTV at her B&B business at Capel Curig, Conwy.

She had been forgiven for a previous theft of £64, Llandudno magistrates were told.

Lady Alice sent a note to the court, asking for Murray to be spared jail.

As well as the four month suspended prison sentence, magistrates ordered Murray to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the community.

She was also ordered to pay £364 compensation to Lady Alice and court costs of £150.

Sam needs help - she is a lovely person, but she has problems Lady Alice Douglas after the case

At her hearing, Murray admitted stealing £300.

The theft was discovered when Lady Alice - the daughter of the Marquis of Queensbury - installed CCTV cameras in the bed and breakfast establishment she runs in a converted church.

During the case both women at times wept as the prosecution described how the aristocrat and the local mum became firm friends as their children grew up together.

In November 2006 Murray used Lady Alice's credit card to withdraw £64, but was forgiven for the theft.

However last April another £300 was stolen.

Murray maintained the money was owed to her by her employer.

After the court case Lady Alice said: "Sam needs help. She is a lovely person, but she has problems.

"Now I want to put it all behind me."

Lady Alice met her former husband in the early 1990s while she was holding an acting workshop in prison and he was serving a sentence.

In 2004, she won her fight with planners for the right to convert St. Curig's Church, in Capel Curig, into a bed and breakfast business.

She detailed the ins and outs of the application in a weekly column for the Sunday Times.