Wedding centre boss jailed for £20,000 fraud

THE manager of a wedding centre business in Bolton who stole £20,000 from the company’s accounts has been sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Deborah Owen, 53, pleaded guilty to theft by employee at an earlier hearing and was jailed at Bolton Crown Court.

Since 2007, Owen was employed as the manager of the Solitaire Wedding Centre on Blackburn Road, and had complete responsibility for the business’s financial matters.

As manager, part of Owen’s responsibilities were also to support and train the young owner of the business.

In 2011, Owen offered to buy the business outright from the owner, and as part of the due diligence process the accounts were submitted to the company’s accountant.

However, this audit revealed some financial irregularities and the owner began to suspect Owen had been stealing money from the wedding centre.

In April 2012, Owen was suspended and Greater Manchester Police’s Fraud Investigation Team were informed. A full investigation of the shop records was then undertaken by police officers from the Fraud Team alongside a forensic accountant employed by the police.

This investigation revealed that Owen had deliberately falsified shop documents and records to steal up to £20,000 for herself and made concerted efforts to cover her tracks and conceal her deception.

Detective Constable Jon Roman said: “Owen was employed by the business to manage the shop and it’s finances.

“Throughout a period of almost five years, she took advantage of the trust given to her in order to steal a large amount of money that belonged to the shop, taking cash on a daily basis.

“As a result of Owen’s actions, the business has struggled to make ends meet and has had to let members of staff go to reduce running costs.

“Her actions have had a huge impact on people’s lives.”

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