Mum steals from company to pay back other employer (From Warrington Guardian)
Text us your news! Start your message Warrington News and send any photos or videos to 80360
Mum steals from company to pay back other employer
7:50am Thursday 15th November 2012 in News By Hannah Bargery
Mum steals from company to pay back other employer
A MUM who stole more than £139,000 from her employers to pay off the previous company she had stolen from as well as a luxury holiday and 40th birthday party for herself has been jailed.
Warrington Crown Court heard on Friday Deborah Jukes pocketed £139,057.50 over 18 months from employers Schwer Fittings Ltd, Latchford.
The 41-year-old, of Chandler Way, Lowton, frittered away the cash on a ‘lavish lifestyle’ including a holiday for her and her five-year-old daughter in Puerto Rico, a 40th birthday party paying for everything for herself and 100 guests and sending her daughter to private nursery.
She was described as being of ‘previously good character’ despite stealing more than £12,000 in one go to pay back her previous employer.
David Jones, prosecuting, said Jukes had stolen £9,000 from the last company she worked for to have her kitchen re-fitted and they were putting pressure on her to pay the money back although it was never reported to police.
The thefts took place between April 2010 and December 2011 with 103 regular payments varying from £486 to £12,150 during which time Jukes earned more than £26,000 in wages from the company as a bookkeeper.
The fraud was discovered when another member of staff found the accounts to be in a ‘mess’ in August 2011.
Mr Jones added: “No staff lost their jobs but it could have placed the company in a position close to liquidation if it had gone on much longer at this level.
“The managing director said it had caused a massive amount of stress and he had struggled to sleep since.
“The business employed local people and could have had a dramatic effect on productivity and the lives of staff.”
John Barnes, defending, said she had pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and made full admissions in interview.
Judge Nicholas Woodward said Jukes spent the money on a lifestyle she could not possibly afford.
He added: “Fortunately the theft fell short of people losing jobs but all of the money has gone and is not going to be recuperated.
“One view would be it was a deliberate theft just to make your life better but perhaps a more accurate summation is that your behaviour could be associated with the breakdown of your relationship and filling a void in your life.”
She was sentenced to two years imprisonment.
Wolfgang Moellers, acting managing director of Schwer Fittings Ltd, said he was disappointed the first company Jukes worked for did not report her to the authorities.
He added: “I’m feeling shock and pure anger that someone could put the livelihoods of around 20 hard-working people at risk.
“The thefts were carried out in a way which made them well hidden and was with some determination.
“It’s quite disturbing someone would take money from a small company, especially in this economy, with staff who have homes and children and depend on a secure income.”
Comments(11)
MrWhite
says...
6:29pm Thu 15 Nov 12
the dr who
says...
6:47pm Thu 15 Nov 12
Whittle Wire
says...
1:43pm Fri 16 Nov 12
less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!
wolf666
says...
5:22pm Fri 16 Nov 12
Whittle Wire wrote:I think unless you have evidence that this women was doing what you are implying you should keep your comments to yourself. Have you ever heard of the word slander. you best hope that none of the family members see your comment or the comany you are slagging off or u might be the next one in court.
I use to work with this women about four years ago, she was very over protective with the bookkeeping even then....thats possibly when she first started this scam as she had only just qualified as a bookkeeper back then......that would have been her first employer who she stole the £9k from who did not report it to the police, maybe because that whole company was dodgy and they wanted to avoid any investigation themselves......need
less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!
Cleopatra
says...
6:20pm Fri 16 Nov 12
wolf666 wrote:You mean libel.
Whittle Wire wrote: I use to work with this women about four years ago, she was very over protective with the bookkeeping even then....thats possibly when she first started this scam as she had only just qualified as a bookkeeper back then......that would have been her first employer who she stole the £9k from who did not report it to the police, maybe because that whole company was dodgy and they wanted to avoid any investigation themselves......need less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!I think unless you have evidence that this women was doing what you are implying you should keep your comments to yourself. Have you ever heard of the word slander. you best hope that none of the family members see your comment or the comany you are slagging off or u might be the next one in court.
Slander is oral while libel is written. Just saying.
wolf666
says...
7:30pm Fri 16 Nov 12
Cleopatra wrote:Thank you
wolf666 wrote:You mean libel.
Whittle Wire wrote: I use to work with this women about four years ago, she was very over protective with the bookkeeping even then....thats possibly when she first started this scam as she had only just qualified as a bookkeeper back then......that would have been her first employer who she stole the £9k from who did not report it to the police, maybe because that whole company was dodgy and they wanted to avoid any investigation themselves......need less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!I think unless you have evidence that this women was doing what you are implying you should keep your comments to yourself. Have you ever heard of the word slander. you best hope that none of the family members see your comment or the comany you are slagging off or u might be the next one in court.
Slander is oral while libel is written. Just saying.
Kirstieb2006
says...
8:37pm Fri 16 Nov 12
SickAndTired2
says...
4:19pm Sat 17 Nov 12
wolf666 wrote:"David Jones, prosecuting, said Jukes had stolen £9,000 from the last company she worked for to have her kitchen re-fitted and they were putting pressure on her to pay the money back although it was never reported to police. "
Whittle Wire wrote:I think unless you have evidence that this women was doing what you are implying you should keep your comments to yourself. Have you ever heard of the word slander. you best hope that none of the family members see your comment or the comany you are slagging off or u might be the next one in court.
I use to work with this women about four years ago, she was very over protective with the bookkeeping even then....thats possibly when she first started this scam as she had only just qualified as a bookkeeper back then......that would have been her first employer who she stole the £9k from who did not report it to the police, maybe because that whole company was dodgy and they wanted to avoid any investigation themselves......need
less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!
Have you even read the story?
Kirstieb2006
says...
10:05pm Sun 18 Nov 12
grey_man
says...
12:18pm Wed 21 Nov 12
wolf666 wrote:It will be interesting to see how this horrible thieving lowlife would come to worry about slander or libel. She's got off lightly. What are her family members going to do? We all can see what sort of person she is.
Whittle Wire wrote:I think unless you have evidence that this women was doing what you are implying you should keep your comments to yourself. Have you ever heard of the word slander. you best hope that none of the family members see your comment or the comany you are slagging off or u might be the next one in court.
I use to work with this women about four years ago, she was very over protective with the bookkeeping even then....thats possibly when she first started this scam as she had only just qualified as a bookkeeper back then......that would have been her first employer who she stole the £9k from who did not report it to the police, maybe because that whole company was dodgy and they wanted to avoid any investigation themselves......need
less to say I left that company after about 6 mths did not like what went on!
old-codger says...
9:50am Thu 15 Nov 12