Derbyshire accounts manager stole £10k from his employer and bought 55-inch TV

Derby Crown Court heard how as part of the fraud Paul Barsby used a company fuel card to fill the tank of his own car, and paid himself more than £2,000 is cash he was not entitled to.

The 48-year-old father-of-two who was seen as “a trusted employer” at Little Eaton-based East Midlands Demolition Ltd, took £9,370.85 from them during the time he worked there.

When he was confronted about stealing the cash he “broke down in tears” before admitting his crime.

And the hearing was told how Barsby, of Beatty Walk, Ilkeston, had carried out exactly the same type of offence 20 years ago.

Handing him a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, Judge Shaun Smith QC said: “You are no stranger to the court as you have a previous conviction for a similar offence to this which dates back 20 years.

“This is thieving from your trusted employer that was trying to help you in what was a difficult situation with your children.

“I see this as a course of conduct in which you abused your position of trust within the company to steal £9,370.85 from them.

“It is clear that at least one innocent child, if not both, will be affected by sending you to prison.

“But the public should not think you are getting away with it because of them.”

Joey Kwong, prosecuting, said Barsby was initially employed by East Midlands Demolition Ltd in 2012 on a part-time basis.

He said his role was to deal with the firm’s banking, finance, wages and spending through company credit cards and fuel cards.

Mr Kwong said in October 2016 he asked if he could go full-time because he was “struggling financially”.

He said: “He was even seen to be crying to the receptionist about how he was going to pay back £1,000 he owed.

“The owner of the firm assisted him, giving him cash and making his role full-time.

“But in December 2017 concerns were raised about financial irregularities that had been discovered on the owner’s company credit car including purchases from organisations such as Just Eat, Argos and Severn Trent.

“Mrs Barsby was confronted about this and broke down in tears a second time.

“His employment was terminated but three days after he was dismissed a Google phone and 55” TV arrived addressed to him which had been paid for on a company credit card.”

Mr Kwong said the police became involved and almost £10,000 in missing cash which could be attributed to the defendant, was discovered.

He said that included £6,681 in purchases on a company credit card, £273 on a fuel card in which he had filled his own Vauxhall Insignia with petrol, £580 in additional wages and a £1,500 overpayment on money he was not entitled to.

Barsby pleaded guilty to fraud and the hearing was told he has a similar conviction for theft from employer dating back to 1998.

Will Bennett, mitigating, said his client is a father-of-two children, a daughter and son who has “complex learning requirements”.

Mr Bennett said: “The effect of custody would be nothing short of catastrophic on his little boy.”

As well as the suspended prison term, Judge Smith handed Barsby a six-month curfew, confining him to his home address every evening between 7pm and 7am.

He also ordered him to carry out 100 hours unpaid work.