A mum who stole a small fortune from her employers spent it all on lavish holidays, jewellery, and designer clothes.
Angela Boote was a long-term employee at insurance brokers Griffiths and Armour, however used her role managing the company's banking functions to pocket some cash for herself. The 53-year-old sent numerous payments, which were intended for clients, to her personal accounts, including one of her daughters and another she shared with her husband.
Sarah Griffith, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Boote had worked for the firm since 1994 and colleagues believed she was a "trusted member of staff". Boote was reportedly "responsible for credit control, managing the company bank and credit control functions" and "initiated payments to clients in respect of refunds or overpayments of insurance premiums", the Liverpool Echo reports.
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However, in early 2017 the mother-of-two began a series of theft that ended in her redirecting a total of £255,854.32 to four bank accounts. Intead of transferring the money for refunds to clients, she would instead send the funds to herself while creating elaborate paper trails to cover her tracks.
Despite her best efforts, though, she was discovered by a client who noticed a £223 refund had not been paid into their account while she was on leave in January 2020. A co-worker addressing the complaint found that the money was sent to Boote's daughter's account, launching an internal investigation.
Forensic accountants discovered that a total of 96 fraudulent payments over a two-and-a-half-year period were made. Boote was dismissed and she admitted to her crimes during a police interview.
Lionel Grieg, defending, told the court that his client was "deeply remorseful" and said she spiralled out of control due to depression while using the cash to fund her lifestyle. He added that she had already began paying back the cash through an inheritance from her aunt.
"She has not only let her family down but also her work colleagues, who she has worked with for years and who trusted her implicitly," he said. Boote was jailed for 40 months in March last year after admitting to theft.
Recorder David Knifton KC said that her actions devastated many of her colleagues and damaged the company's reputation. He added: "The funds were used by you to support your lavish lifestyle, particularly expensive holidays."
Boote went back to court on Friday (April 28) for an application under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Ben Berkson, appearing for the prosecution on this occasion, outlined how she benefitted from her criminality to the tune of £134,853.62 - "reduced from £250,000 because the defendant has paid off" some of the sum stolen.
It was also revealed that she has available assets of £79,922. Recorder Michael Blakey ruled that this figure must be paid back within three months or she will be given an additional eight months in prison in default - in this case, she would still be required to pay back the money, with the funds being passed to the company after it's seized.
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