A man has been sentenced to six years in prison for stealing millions of pounds from a Kirkby-based employer.
James Hall was jailed for six years at Bolton Crown Court today for fraud by abuse of position. Between 2011 and 2015 Hall, 49, stole more than £6.7m from a Kirkby -based shop-fitting company where he was employed as an accountant.
Hall's behaviour came to light when he couldn't explain why he had transferred large amounts of money from the company into his own account following an audit. Hall, of Eastgrove Avenue, Bolton, initially denied his actions claiming the transactions were loans from the company director. He later entered a guilty plea the week before his trial.
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Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Claire Taylor said: "This fraud placed a family-run business under significant financial pressure, causing distress and worry to all employees and their loved ones. That such an impact would be caused was clearly lost on Hall, and he will now be left to consider the full consequences of his actions while he serves his jail time.
"We welcome that, following an extensive and complex police investigation, Hall is now behind bars. Fraud can and does devastate individuals and businesses, and thankfully Hall has now been prevented from causing any more harm.
“I hope that Hall’s sentencing today sends a clear message about how seriously police and the courts take such offences. To anyone who would think that defrauding a company is acceptable: we will investigate you and bring you to justice."
