Boston man scammed over £8,000 from a Sleaford joinery firm

Nathan Hill, who worked at the Sleaford depot of Howdens Joinery, used his authority to approve credits to customers to transfer fictitious credits which were then paid into his own bank account.

Callum Church, prosecuting, said that credits of up to £2,000 a time were transferred into Hill’s bank account and other money was paid into the account of his work colleague Joshua Quirk.

Mr Church said: “Between March 23 and December 10, 2018 over £8,000 was transferred from credit accounts to two bank accounts one of which belonged to Hill and the other to Quirk.

“There were 15 separate transactions. Some of £180 to £200. One was large. £2,000 moved into Hill’s bank account in one go.

“The total amount taken by Hill that ended up in his bank account was £8,337.

“There were three transactions to Quirk. Around £1,500 was sent on to Hill and Quirk retained £527.

“The irregularity of credits to several different customer accounts being paid into two bank accounts was picked up by an audit carried out in January.”

Mr Church said that Hill’s bank account was identified as being involved. He made admissions and added that Quirk had caught him making one of the fraudulent transactions and asked if some of the money could be sent to him.

Both later admitted they had used the money to repay debts.

The court was told that both men were of previous good character.

Hill, 26, of Broad Lane, Boston, and Quirk, 19, of New Street, Helpringham, each admitted a charge of theft from an employer.

Hill was given a six month jail sentence suspended for 12 months with a community order including 240 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 15 days. A hearing to consider confiscating his assets was adjourned to a later date.

Quirk was given a 12 month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days and 80 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Simon Hirst, passing sentence, told them: “You have now both lost your good character. That will have an impact in the future on you getting jobs, but you have brought it on yourselves and it is your fault.”

Sunil Khanna, for Hill, said the fraud was not sophisticated and his client was always going to be found out.

He said that Hill intended to repay the money from cash he and his partner had saved for their wedding.

Quirk, who represented himself, said he had spoken to a probation officer before going into court and was told that courses were available which could help him.