Hucknall woman, 73, swindled £800,000 from wine company employer over 12 years

Patricia Mann, of Pilot Drive pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position and was jailed for three years and nine months at Nottingham Crown Court on Thursday January, 28.

According to Nottinghamshire police Mann joined the Derby Road-based Vintage Wines Ltd, in 2004. The company had previously been defrauded and Mann was taken on to help clear up the former crime.

She was employed as the business' book-keeper, but the company hit ‘cash flow problems’ in 2016.

Mann admitted admitted taking money from the company for approximately two years, totalling around £50,000. She had offered to pay the money back, but enquiries continued, and an investigation showed the actual total amount she had taken was in the region of £801,000.

Terry Rockley, managing director and owner of Vintage Wines Ltd, said: "Patricia Mann did not just copy a terrible crime, she had been entrusted to sort out, but it escalated it to an astonishing level with no regard for myself, the company or the staff who trusted her.

"Hopefully now, at long last, after more than two years of investigation work and this sentence, some justice can be delivered."

Detective Constable Chris Underwood who led the investigation said: "When Mann was hired her attitude towards running the company was described as 'second to none'. She had full control of the company finances, including wages, banking and cash flow forecasts.

"The victim employed new accountants to identify any issues. It was found that Mann was paying herself directly unauthorised amounts of money from the business account into her own bank account.

"Mann stole directly from the company who had held her in high esteem and she knew she was wrong in doing this. Greed just took over her.

"Nottinghamshire Police takes fraud and financial abuse seriously and is committed to investigating reports of this kind. We recognise the wide reaching effects this type of crime has on the victim and the wider community.”