Greedy accountant blamed 'family priorities' for stealing £334,000 from his ... trends now
An accountant blamed 'family priorities' for stealing £334,000 from his boss before it was revealed he used the funds to buy a seaside holiday home and Range Rover.
Laurence Hearldon, 39, was caught using his employers' Paypal account to steal the cash over a three year period, insisting he needed the money to pay household debts.
The father-of-one initially repaid £43,000, but refused to pay back the rest after admitting to colleagues he had purchased the luxury motor and a static caravan at a holiday park near Blackpool.
Bosses at Influence Fashion, a wholesale clothing empire based in Cheetham Hill, Manchester - where Hearldon worked for seven years - had to contact insurers to get the money back, but were still left £50,000 out of pocket.
Hearldon admitted fraud of £334,844 between July 2018 and June 30, 2021 by abuse of position and was jailed for three years at Manchester Crown Court.
Laurence Hearldon, 39, (pictured) was caught using his employers' Paypal account to steal more than £300,000
The father-of-one initially repaid £43,000, but refused to pay back the rest after admitting to colleagues he had spent the money on expensive items
A judge accused him of 'greed' and of 'living beyond his means'. He will now face a proceeds of Crime hearing.
Hearldron, who left school with 11 GCSEs and a GNVQ in Leisure and Tourism, was taken on at Influence Fashion as an accounts manager in May 2014 after working as a credit controller and a clerk for various financial companies.
He was later promoted to management accountant where he was said to be a 'trusted figure'.
William Donnelly, prosecuting, said: 'By all accounts he was a popular and diligent member of staff at the company. By August 2021 he was senior managing clerk and was involved in all areas of the firm's financial affairs. He was undoubtedly a trusted employee and was experienced in his job and the finances of the company involved.'
The firm, which has an annual turnover of £22 million, used its Paypal account in one per cent of its transactions and it was described as a 'small but necessary' part of its operation.
But Hearldon stole cash by exploiting the online payment system's refusal to provide security codes or 'precise definitions' for transactions.
Investigations began in August 2021 after auditors carried out end of year financial checks and noticed discrepancies in the accounts.
Hearldon admitted fraud of £334,844 between July 2018 and June 30, 2021 by abuse of position and was jailed for three years
A judge accused the father-of-one of 'greed' and of 'living beyond his means'
Mr Donnelly said: 'The defendant had taken a leading role in that end of year reconciliation as part of his job and he detailed knowledge of the accounts and its requirements.
'But he had since 2018 been transferring funds
