A mum's £180,000 scam was uncovered after she went shopping at B&Q.
Tracy Ellis lived out a "fantasy life" as she lavished family members with gifts, funded by swindling her employer out of huge sums of money over a period of more than five years. Her actions have been described as a "betrayal" to the small firm for which she worked as a bookkeeper for nearly a decade.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Monday, that the 52-year-old was first employed by Prescot-based building contractor Ingham and Garner Ltd - a company involved in refurbishments, extensions and fit outs for public sector clients such as the NHS and local authorities - in September 2013, and became "solely responsible" for its accounts. Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how Ellis, of Hall Street in St Helens, was tasked with paying invoices and looking after petty cash as part of her role.
