A former trainee accountant, Jake Currie, who was ‘left to his own devices’ managed to defraud his company out of nigh on £60,000. He used the money to buy a second-hand BMW, pay his Stockport mortgage, and a lot of booze!
Working for NUCO Travel he made numerous transactions into his own account over a six-month period. He then decided to go on ‘sick leave’, before announcing he was taking a holiday to Canada!
The firm decided it was time to part company, and its new trainee accountant quickly noticed the discrepancies in payments.
After pleading guilty to one count of fraud and two counts of transferring criminal property the 26-year old was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years. He must also undertake 200 hours of unpaid work.
The Judge, Bernadette Baxter, said: “You made 22 transactions over a six-month period of £58,000. You did it in a state of mind where you felt sorry for yourself. You were spending the money on frivolous things, £9,000 on a mortgage and £10,000 payment towards a car. You have then drank and frittered away the rest of the money. I accept your behaviour was out of character for you.”
Currie is now working as a recruitment consultant.
