A finance director who stole more than £1 million (€1.2 million) from his employers after uncovering a “weakness” in their accountancy system was jailed yesterday for 3½ years at Belfast Crown Court.
Jailing 47-year-old Gary Moore, Judge Patrick Lynch QC told the qualified accountant his seven-year fraud represented a “serious breach of trust” which Howdens UK Ltd had placed in him.
Earlier he heard Moore, from Roddens Park in Belfast, joined the large-scale manufacturing firm in 1987, and worked his way up through the ranks of the finance department, eventually becoming finance director in charge of three senior and nine junior staff members.
Prosecuting lawyer Ian Tannahill told the court Moore uncovered a weakness in the accountancy system that allowed him to write cheques to himself “for his own benefit”.
In total, between May 2004 and March 2011 when the fraud was uncovered, Moore stole £1,048,368.91.
His bank accounts were frozen and it was found about £700,000 of the money had not been spent.