A TRUSTED accounts manager plundered more than £171,500 from a children's nurseries company to fund lavish luxuries, including expensive holidays and a car.
She and her husband had a joint annual income of about £80,000 but, over about four years, she stole "massive" amounts of money through "pure greed".
Julie Shelton, 51, of Hunters Close, Great Coates, Grimsby, admitted stealing £66,267 cash, belonging to For Under Fives, between March 2008 and August 2012.
She also admitted fraud by presenting cheques to obtain money totalling £105,305 and concealing or converting criminal property totalling £171,573.
She was jailed for two years and three months.
Michael Slater, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Shelton started work as a senior accounts manager for children's nurseries company For Under Fives in January 2008.
The company, based at Abbey Road, Grimsby, had 15 nurseries at the time and there were three other employees at the head office. Suspicions were aroused in summer 2012 but Shelton claimed she thought another member of staff was responsible for the shortfall. That person was eliminated from blame after an investigation and police were alerted to Shelton's activities in December 2012.
The company found that large amounts of cash had not been paid into its bank account and £45,000 could not be accounted for, said Mr Slater.
Two directors had to loan the company £100,000 to ease the situation, with further loans of £35,000 and £20,000 from them.
"She stole just over £66,000 in cash from the company and paid it into her own accounts," said Mr Slater.
"She wrote cheques on their account for just over £100,000. The overall loss was £171,573."
Between 2009 and 2012, Shelton bought flights or holidays totalling more than £18,000, a Saab 93 car for just under £14,000 cash and spent money on a conservatory, granite worktops and employing landscape gardeners, the court heard.
She was arrested in July at her place of work.
Shelton at first denied taking the money but later told police: "I just didn't really think you would be able to pin the cash on me."
Mr Slater stressed that Shelton's husband was not suspected of involvement in the thefts and frauds.
Recorder Gurdial Singh told the court that Shelton spent the money on "luxury purchases" even though she and her husband had an annual income of about £80,000.
"It was just pure greed," he said. "You had a joint income that, for the vast majority of the nation, would be enough to get by on – but that wasn't enough."
She potentially put more than 300 jobs at risk at the nurseries and in the company.
It had been a "real possibility" that the company might have gone under if the directors had not pumped in £155,000 of loans.
"It was a systematic theft," said Recorder Singh. "You were quite happy to steal and quite happy to spend the money, despite having a very comfortable income."
Steven Freestone, mitigating, said Shelton had no previous convictions and eventually made admissions during police interview.
"It was difficult for her to give any explanation beyond funding a lifestyle," said Mr Freestone.
The dishonesty began when a cheque was accidentally left blank before going to a director to be signed.
She wrote in her own details and, when the mistake was not picked up, she repeated it many times.
"It came as a surprise to her the total value of what she had stolen and the cash involved in the frauds," said Mr Freestone.
"She is ashamed and embarrassed more for her family than herself. She concedes she put the company at risk."
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