A law firm cashier has been jailed for five years after helping herself to client money held by her former employer, Solihull solicitors Williamson & Soden.
Louise Martini was hired straight from school by the firm and worked there as a cashier for twenty years. Over time she was given more and more responsibility until she was managing client bank accounts. Which gave her the opportunity, starting in 2002, to top-up her £24,000 p.a. salary to the tune of an impressive £1.7 million.
Predictably the newly-flush Martini went on an epic spending spree. Her shopping highlights included a house, a pub, a bit of a racehorse and the following gallery of bling:
Impressive stuff.
Astonishingly, it took the firm seven years until it caught up with her in February 2009. And that's despite the discovery that client ledgers were £100,000 overdrawn in 2008. Her ruse was rumbled while she was on holiday, and she was sacked.
However despite the catalogue of theft, she wrote to the firm - which "meant everything" to her - asking that her "18½ years of loyal service should at least be taken into account against one foolish act".
Despite initially denying the crime, Martini eventually pleaded guilty and was jailed for five years at Gloucester Crown Court last week.
Martini's former firm said - amongst a load of guff about the robustness of its accounting software - "Martini told us her husband was a successful businessman. We were unaware of much of her lifestyle outside the office...We are entirely satisfied that nothing like this could happen to us again".
Tip Off ROF
Louise Martini was hired straight from school by the firm and worked there as a cashier for twenty years. Over time she was given more and more responsibility until she was managing client bank accounts. Which gave her the opportunity, starting in 2002, to top-up her £24,000 p.a. salary to the tune of an impressive £1.7 million.
Predictably the newly-flush Martini went on an epic spending spree. Her shopping highlights included a house, a pub, a bit of a racehorse and the following gallery of bling:
| Chanel jewellery |
£11,000 |
|---|---|
| Cartier jewellery |
£10,000 |
| Net-a-Porter |
£9,500 |
| Harvey Nichols |
£4,000 |
| Jimmy Choo |
£500 |
| Range Rover and Audi |
£98,000 |
| Trip to Las Vegas |
£3,300 |
| Stays at Ettingham Hall |
£13,000 |
| Flowers |
£3,700 |
Impressive stuff.
Astonishingly, it took the firm seven years until it caught up with her in February 2009. And that's despite the discovery that client ledgers were £100,000 overdrawn in 2008. Her ruse was rumbled while she was on holiday, and she was sacked.
However despite the catalogue of theft, she wrote to the firm - which "meant everything" to her - asking that her "18½ years of loyal service should at least be taken into account against one foolish act".
 |
Louise Martini blending in with her colleagues |
Despite initially denying the crime, Martini eventually pleaded guilty and was jailed for five years at Gloucester Crown Court last week.
Martini's former firm said - amongst a load of guff about the robustness of its accounting software - "Martini told us her husband was a successful businessman. We were unaware of much of her lifestyle outside the office...We are entirely satisfied that nothing like this could happen to us again".