Woman who stole tens of thousands from her employer to fund luxury lifestyle jailed

A woman who stole tens of thousands of pounds from a Stoke-on-Trent company she worked for has been jailed today (April 20).

Susan Bailey, formerly of Tudor Rose Way, Norton, Stoke-on-Trent, and now living in Derbyshire, was jailed for 40 months for stealing a total of £175,000 from her employers.
The court heard Bailey had worked as a financial administrator since 2001 for Palfreyman Power Limited.
Between 1 May 2014 and 29 July 2016, the 66-year-old set up a fictitious company which she used to move the large funds around.
Bailey used the company’s money to fund her extravagant spending which included paying for her niece’s £60,000 wedding and £30,000 ‘gifted inheritance,’ Stoke City Football Club Corporate Hospitality Packages, long haul holidays and numerous home improvements included a new drive, an extension, a hot tub, landscaped garden and expensive soft furnishing.
During her time working there, she also gave herself a £33,000 pay rise – unbeknown to her boss.
Following a lengthy investigation by detectives from Staffordshire Police, it was discovered that Bailey withdrew vast sums of cash and attempted to disguise this by fabricating payments to staff, wages, suppliers, bills, hospitality, inventing a fictitious company to hide her dishonesty.
Bailey argued she moved money around to help the business as it was in ‘financial trouble.’
She pleaded guilty to 11 charges of fraud by abuse of position at an earlier hearing and was sentenced at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court today.
Paul Gibson, director of the firm, told the court: “I was absolutely devastated when I discovered the scale of her theft and treachery and for how long it had been going on.
“I still find it unbelievable that she could steal and betray me on an almost daily basis and still act normally with me and my family.”
Detective Constable Gary Cliffe, of Staffordshire Police, said: “The deceit and dishonesty from Bailey and how she abused her position was immense. Bailey’s responsibility was to safeguard the financial interests of the company and not act against it.
“She took a huge sum of money from a company that trusted her and employed her and used it to live the high life.”