'Greedy' Leeds mum who refused to give up luxury holidays spared jail after fleecing employer
A mum who stole tens of thousands of pounds from her employer to splash on luxury items such as holidays and beauty treatments has been spared custody, so she can look after her teenager daughter.
Claire Crook was described by a judge at Leeds Crown Court as being “greedy” and had shown “little remorse” after she spent six years using her company credit card to buy whatever she desired.
She had worked as a senior financial leader at Leeds-based Force24 between 2016 and 2022, and would cover her tracks by doctoring spreadsheets.
The 49-year-old admitted one count of false accounting. She was due to be sentenced on October 11, but Judge Kate Rayfield said she needed more information so had Crook held on remand for a week.
Having spent a week in jail, she then opted not to give her custodial sentence, jailing her for 21 months, suspended for 18 months.
Judge Rayfield told her: “You were not prepared to forgo your holidays and grooming appointments. I have detected little remorse other than your guilty plea.
“Let me make it absolutely plain, if it was not for your daughter, you would go immediately into custody. She is the innocent one in this. It’s for this reason and this reason alone.”
The court heard that Crook began using the company credit card shortly after it was issued when she began working for the Crown Point Road firm in 2016. Intended for business expenses, she began buying personal items.
These included flights, concert tickets, hotels, beauty treatments, supermarket shopping, takeaways and even cash withdrawals. She then covered her tracks, editing the finances.
The prosecutor said Crook had been “ideally placed to cover up her fraudulent behaviour”.
It was only after she left the company in 2022 that her crime was uncovered. It was initially thought that she had fleeced the firm for around £58,000, but Crook maintains it was “between 50% and 70% of that value”, which was accepted.
Having been called to speak with her former bosses, Crook admitted she had been spending the cash, but claimed it was only for a few months.
She was forced to admit it was over a six-year period when confronted with the evidence. She then gave a no-comment interview with police. She is yet to pay any of the money back.
Mitigating, Julian Jones said Crook, of Oak Park Lane, Leeds, suffered with mental health issues, that her mother is ill and she is responsible for her daughter.
Judge Rayfield ordered that Crook complete a 90-day alcohol-abstinence requirement, 20 rehabilitation days with probation and 120 hours of unpaid work.
She will return to court next year for a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) hearing, in which attempts will be made to recoup the money she stole.