Legal News

Kirsty Lane, 30, of Lewis Close, Adlington, Lancashire, a part time accounts assistant who embezzled her employer’s money by transferring funds from Pure AV’s bank account into that of her and her future husband has been jailed.
She stole £200,000 from her employers to pay for a lavish wedding. The fraud was discovered shortly after the pair's wedding at the Great Hall at Mains, near Blackpool in January 2011. She was sentenced to 20 months in prison at Preston Crown Court.
She faked invoices of Leyland Company which installs audio visual equipment, marking them as paid and then depositing the money into her own account. She stole £122,000 from the Leyland Company.
She also diverted about £70,000 through her husband's account, which she told him were savings, salary and bonuses. About £6,000 was transferred into a third account.
Company director Peter Sutton said Lane had cost the firm about £300,000, due to tax and VAT payments, and put the "livelihoods of 20-plus people" at risk.
Police said Lane began working for Pure AV in May 2007 and started siphoning money into her account in December 2008.
A spokesman said she had made a total of 122 fraudulent transactions between the period when she worked and left the company for her wedding on 23 January 2011.
Most of the money she siphoned off was used to fund her "lavish wedding" which included a free bar, musicians, fireworks, a magician and face-painting.
He added that Lane had also used the cash to pay for home improvements and costly household and personal items including personalised car registration plates.
Judge Pamela Badley starting with small amounts Lane had escalated her stealing to fund a lifestyle of luxury. Her behaviour was fraudulent from the beginning and had acted cynically against her company’s interest the judge added.
Speaking after sentencing, Mr Sutton said Lane had been a trusted member of the team and she had been in that position for a number of years.
He said she defrauded the company in a complex way and there had been no obvious "digital trail".
We just wanted it over. It's the end of a traumatic time in our existence and the legal system has prevailed," he said.
Graham Lane was found not guilty to one count of money laundering at Preston Crown Court on an earlier date.