Skegness accountant ordered to sell home to pay back over £100,000 after stealing from local businesses

Jane Moore, originally from Burghley Road, Skegness, has been ordered to pay a confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act after Lincoln Crown Court heard how she had benefited by over £292,000.

The court granted a Confiscation Order on Friday, August 4, meaning that Moore will now lose the equity in her property and her private pension to pay an initial amount of over £109,000, which will in turn be paid as compensation to the two victims of her crimes.

PC Philip Gidlow, financial investigator for the Economic Crimes Unit, said: “While the victims of this crime have lost out significantly, I hope that this confiscation order against the offender and the compensation goes some way to giving the victims a sense of justice and I hope it makes a significant difference to their lives now.”

Moore had already been sentenced to 28 months imprisonment at Lincoln Crown Court, after pleading guilty in October 2016 to five charges of theft and fraud which she had committed against her employers over a period of ten years.

Moore, carried out the thefts over a ten year period, stealing over £75,000 from J D Birch, a family garage in Sutton on Sea, and a further £50,000 from decorators J A Vickers.

At trial, Lincoln Crown Court heard Moore simply transferred the money in to her own account after encouraging both businesses to move to computer banking.

Moore also admitted stealing a smaller sum of £780 from North Shore Holiday Centre on Roman Bank.

The court heard Peter Birch discovered the thefts from his business when he noticed an unusual transaction on a paper bank statement.

He confronted Moore, who had worked for him since 2011, and she admitted being disgusted by what she had done.

Investigations showed Moore had transferred £73,000 in to her own account and also falsified two cheques to the value of £2,513.

Moore’s theft from J A Vickers was discovered when the business fell victim to an unrelated incident of computer hacking.

Investigations showed Moore had stolen £50,000 from the business in 14 high value transactions over a ten year period.

As the business became less profitable due to the thefts the owners were forced to remortgage their homes and cash in a pension.

The court heard both businesses were run by 67-year-old owners who had now been forced to postpone their retirements.