Finance director and gambling addict fleeced Leeds firm for almost £290,000
A deceitful finance director spent almost six years fleecing her employers of almost £290,000 in the futile hope of recouping her gambling losses.
Jennifer Race redirected huge amounts of cash and tried to cover her tracks as she plunged deeper into debt.
The 40-year-old admitted fraud by abuse of position and narrowly avoided custody after Leeds Crown Court was told she had since made concerted efforts to pay back the money.
Race had been employed by Beeston-based metal detector and X-ray manufacturers, Yamato Scale Dataweigh Ltd, in 2016 and was responsible for salary payments and approving payments to suppliers.
Between January 2018 and November 2023 she siphoned off £288,071 without the company becoming wise.
She would give herself additional salaries, created false invoices and created false information that sums were being paid to suppliers. The firms would receive part of the payment and she would pocket the rest.
Her shady behaviour came to light in November 2023 when an employee noticed discrepancies within the company’s accounts.
An internal investigation found that three payments had been redirected to Race in late 2023, for around £6,000, £8,000 and £9,000.
She was suspended but denied being involved at that point. She later resigned as the investigation brought her full criminal conduct to light.
In August 2024 she was interviewed by police and admitted the full scale of her deception. She said she had initially taken money to help a friend in financial trouble.
She had been gambling which grew worse during Covid and it then spiralled as she tried in vain to “win back” the money she was losing.
The court was told she had lost her job, her house and had no money left. She was now living with her father but had paid back £108, 000 of the money taken, having got a new job.
Race, whose address was given by the court as Pasture Grove, Sherburn in Elmet, has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, John Bottomley said Race had since been diagnosed with a gambling disorder, a neurological impairment that made her “incapable of stopping”.
He said the illness meant she was not betting for “calculated gain”.
He said Race’s mother had died in 2016, her relationship ended and her friend - whom she had tried to help - took her own life.
Judge Penelope Belcher acknowledged that the money stolen was not being used for “luxurious” items.
She opted to give her a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years - the maximum sentence that can be suspended.
She acknowledged Race’s lack of previous convictions and her efforts to pay the money back.
Race was given 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days with probation.