Bookkeeper jailed for stealing £1.3m from employer and friend

Tuesday 20th December, 2022

A bookkeeper who stole more than £1.3million from his friend’s company has been jailed for five years and eight months at Taunton Crown Court.

He was employed as a bookkeeper for his friend’s chain of pharmacies when he used the company’s money to fund his extravagant lifestyle. The stolen money was used to buy luxury holidays in destinations such as New York and Las Vegas, designer goods and home renovations. He also stayed in five-star London hotels including, The Savoy, The Ritz and The Dorchester, and shopped at Harrods and Fortnum and Mason.

His deception was discovered when a colleague came across invoices relating to his house. An investigation found he’d not only paid for construction and interior design work at his house using company accounts but had also transferred money directly into his own personal accounts and even given himself an unsanctioned pay rise.

Detective Sergeant Louise Sinclair, Avon and Somerset Police, said: “His behaviour was a terrible betrayal of not just his employer but of someone who considered him a good friend.

“While he was living it up, splashing the cash on luxury goods and holidays, two of his colleagues sacrificed a combined £200,000 of pay as they thought the business was struggling financially.”