Accountant ‘shocked’ after being fired for stealing £6.7m
Yahoo News UK

James Hall, 49, conned the company he worked for out of a staggering £6.7m. (SWNS)
An accountant was “shocked” when fired for conning his employer out of £6.7m, a court heard.

James Hall, 49, had claimed the large transactions he made to his bank were loans from the director of shopfitting company Vale UK in Merseyside.

The fraud, which took place between 2011 and 2015, came to light following an audit of the firm which works with major retailers like the Co-Op.

Despite stealing millions, Hall “thought it was ridiculous” when the company fired him, Bolton Crown Court heard.

Hall, of Bolton, admitted to four counts of fraud from the company and was jailed for six years.

Hall, who was on £81,000, was confronted in 2015 after irregularities were identified.

In 2012, he asked to borrow £250,000 from the firm's fund to do work on his house so he could sell it but then started to take more with permission.

General view of Bolton Crown Court, Bolton.
James Hall was jailed at Bolton Crown Court. (PA)
He told his bosses that he took the money to bet on the Stock Exchange because he “wanted security for his wife and children."

Fiona McNeill, prosecuting said that company director Peter Henerty saw Hall as a “brother”.

Ms McNeil said: “He couldn’t believe the defendant acted in the way he did, he was a trusted employee."

Andrew Nutall, defending, said his client was suffering from a gambling addiction and was “shocked” to find out he had been dismissed from the company.

Hall had worked there since leaving university.

Mr Nutall added: “He seems to have thought himself rather like Prof Pangloss in Voltaire's Candid, everything will turn out for the best.

“That was his thinking, but it hasn’t and he must pay the piper.”

Judge Tom Gilbart told Hall: “Until you decided to involve yourself in this you were a man of impeccable character, a history of good work, a family and a good standard of living and you had a good circle of friends, you had a job that rewarded your intelligence.

"This was extremely serious criminality, you were given a position of trust by this company.”

Detective Constable Claire Taylor of Merseyside Police said after sentencing: “This fraud placed a family-run business under significant financial pressure, causing distress and worry to all employees and their loved ones.

“That such an impact would be caused was clearly lost on Hall, and he will now be left to consider the full consequences of his actions while he serves his jail time.

“We welcome that, following an extensive and complex police investigation, Hall is now behind bars."

not surprised bcoz even my president is always shocked even after doing things intentionally..