Beverley Pearce paid herself up to five times a month to pay for her online gambling habit
A trusted accounts clerk stole more than £330,000 from a building company to pay for her online gambling habit - and 60 jobs are now in jeopardy because of her thefts.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how Beverley Pearce, 54, paid herself up to five times a month from the company accounts.
Pearce began secretly transferring funds to herself in 2011 and carried on for five years.
But she was found out in 2016, after 16 years of service to the company, when another employee noticed 90 unauthorised transactions from the company account to a B. Pearce.
The court heard building company Brecongate is now struggling to survive because of her crimes.
"I've got myself into trouble"
A court heard that mother-of-two Pearce confessed immediately - saying “I’ve got myself into trouble”.
A total of £339,817.82 was taken from the company account which Pearce had exclusive access to.
The same account was used by the company to pay its 60 members of staff.
Pearce worked as an account supervisor for Brecongate, a building contractor company based in Upper Boat, near Pontypridd .
Prosecuting, Claire Pickthall, said: “She ran into financial difficulties and she took out a mortgage to pay for an extension.
“She couldn’t afford the mortgage anymore, and her borrowing had spiralled out of control.
“One month she overpaid herself, and no one noticed so it just went on from there.”
Ms Pickthall read victim impact statement from Paul Jones, managing director at Brecongate, which said: “The money that she has taken has severely damaged our business.
“After three months of continued stress, I have my doubts as to whether we can survive. Sixty people could lose their jobs.”
Video: The criminals locked up in January
LOCKED UP IN WALES - JANUARY 2017
"She was shocked in her interview to realise how much money she had taken"
Defending Pearce, Claire Wilks said Pearce blamed her addiction to online gambling.
She said: “It was almost not real money. Putting figures into the computer and gambling away.
“She was shocked in her interview to realise how much money she had taken.”
Pearce, of Poplar Road, Rhydyfelin, was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to theft.
Sentencing, Judge Thomas Crowther QC said: “You have lost your good name and mystified your family.
“You may not have driven fast cars or lived in a mansion, but you frittered away thousands of pounds that would transform anyone’s life.”
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/woman-stole-more-330000-building-12563646
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