A former Cook Islands police officer, Davinia Webb, has escaped a prison term for stealing money from a crime scene, partly due to her relative youth.
24 year old Webb stole 5,400 US dollars from a crime scene in January this year.
In June she admitted her guilt in a police interview and resigned from the force.
The prosecution did not seek imprisonment because of Webb's young age and her guilty plea.
It instead recommended community service.
The maximum penalty for theft as a servant is five years in prison, but community service is typical.
Webb has also apologised to the police commissioner for her offence.
