Costessey Man Jailed After Stealing £1.1 Million
2 January 2019, 18:14 | Updated: 2 January 2019, 18:16
An ex-finance director from Costessey near Norwich, who stole £1.1 million from his former employer and used £500,000 of it to fund a gambling addiction, has been jailed for four years.
Norwich Crown Court heard today how 36 year old Steven Girling, of Folgate Close, diverted company money into his own account and then tried to cover his tracks by adjusting spreadsheet entries.
He admitted a single count of theft at an earlier hearing - admitting stealing from his employer Premier Education Group between May 2014 and October 2017.
Judge Stephen Holt, sentencing, told Girling: "For nearly a four-year period you stole over a million pounds from the company you worked for as finance director.
"These thefts were skilfully planned and executed so the loss to the company wasn't noticed and was passed by three separate audits.
"During the time you were stealing these huge amounts of money, according to you for your gambling addiction, you managed to save in excess of £100,000 in your personal savings account.
"That was not touched to feed your gambling habit."
He continued: "People who really suffer from extreme gambling addictions tend to arrive here with nothing, only debts.
"You arrived here with some considerable assets."
The court heard Girling's actions cost his former firm £30,000 in consultants' and lawyers' fees to "unentangle the criminal web (Girling) weaved".
