Jailed: Finance manager who stole £116,000 from Telford firm
A finance manager who stole more than £116,000 from her employer has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Elizabeth Anne Powell stole the money over a 10-year period from Morland Utilities based at Halesfield, in Telford.
The 58-year-old, who admitted three counts of theft last month, was sentenced at Stafford Crown Court yesterday.
Her former employers today released a statement saying they believed that "justice had been served". Powell, of Burnside in Brookside, Telford, stole the money between May 2002 and September 2012, the court heard.
A company spokesman, who wished not be named, said in a statement following the sentence that he was relived "justice had been served".
He said: "We weren't expecting the sentence to be what it was, as we were told it would be for about four years.
"It was a lot more than we thought it would be to be honest, but we feel that justice has been served and we are happy with the sentence she has received.
"She was a trusted member of staff and she had worked for the company since not long after it started in 1999.
"You just do not expect your accounts manager to do that to you.
"She was clearly enjoying the high life at the company's expense.
"She always said she was innocent, but she was told to change her plea by the judge and she has been sent down for it.
"When we found out what she had done we were shocked and we didn't know what to think.
"It appeared to have been going on for many years, but she always denied taking the money from us and only changed her plea in December.
"Despite what amount of money she took from us the company has been doing well and we got back on our feet quickly."
