A part-time accountant who stole £87,000 from her employer has been jailed for two years and four months.
Elizabeth Cullen stole from B Eyre & Son, a car dealership in Tattershall, to buy clothes, holidays, a new kitchen as well as health and beauty treatment.
Philip Plant, prosecuting, said that Cullen lived a lifestyle way above what she could have afforded on her £11,000 salary as a part-time accounts worker for the company.
He told the court an indication of the extent over her thefts was that over a seven-year period she made just two cash withdrawals from her own bank account whereas she made 39 withdrawals in the six months after her thefts came to light.
Mr Plant said: “For 28 years this defendant was the part-time office and accounts clerk.
“She was a trusted and valued member of staff and had access to all the financial matters.
“Her salary was woefully inadequate for the lifestyle she wanted to live.
“She was using the company’s cash for shopping and living expenses. Her employer noted she was taking three holidays a year.
“In 2016 there was a holiday to America which cost £10,700. There was a new kitchen costing £5,000 and private health care for her son.
“A calendar showed 27 appointments for massages and facials between January and May 2017.
“The overall figure involved is £86,899.”
Mr Plant said that the thefts were uncovered by chance in the spring of 2017.
“Mr Eyre went to pay a cheque into the bank. He noticed that Cullen had left her own paying-in book inside the bag used for banking.
“It showed that she had been paying large amounts of cash into her account. He then discovered cheques were missing from the cheque book.”
As a result, Mr Eyre contacted the bank and Cullen resigned from her job the following day.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Cullen had been forging the owner’s signature on cheques which she used to withdraw cash from the company account.
Fraudulent entries were made in the company books to cover up what she was doing.
Cullen, 57, of Lancaster Drive, Coningsby, admitted two charges of theft between January 2010 and May 2017.
She also admitted money laundering between January 2004 and May 2017.
She was jailed for 28 months. A hearing to consider confiscation of her assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act was adjourned to next year.
Recorder Mark Watson, passing sentence, told her: “This was nothing more than greed. You spent the money on items of extravagance.
“You were able to do all of this because of the degree of trust placed in you. You were effectively given free reign over the money the business brought in.
“What you did was to write your own cheques.”
Tara McCarthy, in mitigation, urged that any prison sentence should be suspended.
“She has no previous convictions. She had debts and was living beyond her means. Things got out of hand.”
Miss McCarthy said that the thefts have put a severe strain on Cullen’s marriage and she has suffered anxiety and depression.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
We are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a collision caused serious injuries to a 23-year-old man.
Just before 3.30pm yesterday (2 July), we received reports of a collision on Barholm Road in Tallington. It involved a grey BMW 335D estate, a blue BMW 116D and an orange KTM motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 23-year-old man, sustained serious injuries during the collision and was taken to hospital.
If you witnessed the incident and are yet to get in touch with us, please do so. If you have any other information or dashcam footage available that may have captured the road along the A1175 at the time of the collision, get in touch.
By calling 101 quoting incident 282 of 2 July.
By emailing [email protected] quoting incident 282 of 2 July in the subject line.
If you wish to remain anonymous, you can report via the independent charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
The 2022 Destination Lincolnshire Tourism Excellence Awards are open for applications, and Destination Lincolnshire giving you the rare chance to co-create your application with Nell Barrington, a tourism awards veteran, who has helped hundreds of businesses write winning applications over the last 15 years – including national VisitEngland winners.
The Tourism Awards Masterclass is taking place on Tuesday 12 July at 11am for one-hour online. Laura Freer, Head of Marketing at Destination Lincolnshire said: “This is a golden opportunity, after years of hard work and heartache, to get your business and team recognised and rewarded.
“A well written application is key to achieving a coveted place on this year’s shortlist, and I’d encourage all tourism and visitor economy businesses who are thinking of entering – whether they are seasoned at writing award applications or not – to join us for this exclusive masterclass.
“Nell Barrington has worked with us and VisitEngland on the founding application processes of these awards, and she is perfectly placed to assist in co-creating applications that you can be proud of. This is a great opportunity for business development too – whether you are shortlisted for an award or not – discovering how to effectively apply for awards and talk up your business adds another string to your bow.
“Booking is essential and places are limited to just 35 – so be quick! This year we’ve made our masterclass available to partners and also to those who we are yet to work with for free. Call it an added bonus, after two years away from the awards circuit.
The awards masterclass is focussed on the application process, and it will spell out what the judges are looking for. You’ll learn how to make your application stand out from the local competition, helping your chances of going through to the national VisitEngland Awards in 2023.”
There are fifteen categories open for nominations from visitors attraction, accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and many more.
The deadline for nominations is July 29, with online judging starting on July 30 and mystery shopping from August 13. Finalists will be announced on Monday, August 15.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Engine Shed on October 21, and will be hosted by Lincs FM presenter, John Marshall.
The event is organised by Stonebow Media, publishers of The Lincolnite, to celebrate the best businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, alongside headline sponsors Lincoln College and Destination Lincolnshire.
We would also like to thank our other sponsors Visit Lincolnshire, Heart of Lincs, Duncan and Toplis and LNER, insight6 and EV Camel.
Whatsapp
