Music tech employee steals £200,000 for Caribbean holiday

A finance manager stole more than £200,000 from a music technology company to give himself a pay rise and fund a holiday to the Caribbean.

Paul Oakley used his position as financial controller of a family-run company to take money to pay for a trip to St Lucia, while claiming he could not work because his partner had been sectioned – a claim that was shown to be false when the case was heard at Southampton Crown Court.

In his first eight weeks in the job, he used his company credit card to spend £960 on a resort in Greece, £28,000 on a Mercedes and £117,000 on “unauthorised supplies”, the court was told.

The 46-year-old, who earned £85,000 per year, also gave himself a £10,000 pay rise and set up a ghost-employee account for his partner, into which he paid £24,000.

Oakley, who was going through a divorce and had turned to drugs and alcohol, had also used some of the money to begin paying off debts.

He began putting money aside after starting at DCS Audio, an audio technology company based in Cambridge, in 2022.

He had previously taken £84,000 from his previous work at Tristel Solutions in 2020, having worked there for 10 years, it was heard.

‘Rapport with other people’s money’

Oakley, from the New Forest village of Bransgore, Hants, pleaded guilty to two charges of theft by employee.

He was jailed for three years and six months.

Andrew Houston, prosecuting, said: “His CV read that he was ‘punctual and had an excellent rapport with people’, but maybe the defendant meant he had an excellent rapport with other people’s money.

“When he was needed for financial reports, Oakley would often go Awol or tell his employers he was unwell or his partner was in hospital.

“Already on £85,000 a year, the defendant gave himself an unauthorised pay rise of £10,000.

“On another occasion, he set up a payroll account for a ghost employee in the name of his partner, which he paid £24,000 into.

“He also used £28,000 to buy a Mercedes and £117,000 on unauthorised supplies.

“When he was on holiday in St Lucia, his employer asked where he was and he said his partner had been sectioned and he could not work.”

‘Serious mental anguish’

A statement was read out on behalf of David Steven, the company’s director, it said: “This caused us significant debt and upset.

“Paul repeatedly did this for his own gain, but I am sure he had a nice time in St Lucia.

“This series of brazen offences caused serious mental anguish to myself.”

Laura Deuxberry, defending, said he had since repaid some of the money after selling his house.

She also said that he was going through a divorce which led him to alcohol and drugs.

She said: “He has shown remorse and regret and has even described his actions as disgusting.”

Judge Nicholas Rowland concluded: “While your colleagues thought you were dealing with a crisis, you were in the Caribbean using your ill-gotten gains to enjoy yourself.”