A BOOKKEEPER who stole almost £300,000 from a York company to help fund family debts has been jailed.

Lindsay Jane White, 39, was working as a general administrator and bookkeeper for Gallo UK at Escrick when she transferred the funds into her account by writing fraudulent cheques and using internet banking.

She was jailed for two years and eight months after York Crown Court heard she stole a total of £297,254.85 over five years. In mitigation, Tony Stanford said White had been struggling with a “considerable amount of debt”.

Mr Stanford said: “Essentially, Miss White is an honest and hard-working mother and wife and through a combination of marital difficulties and financial hardship, she did this.

“This debt was primarily run up by her husband on expensive hobbies. I understand he was buying expensive wheels and engines for his cars and other boys’ toys. He was doing so without any thought of who would pay for these.”

The thefts, which took place between 2004 and 2009, were only uncovered after the company paid £11,000 for auditors to go through the accounts.

White, who had worked for Gallo UK for 13 years, initially admitted that she had taken around £150,000, but this was not accepted by the court and she later accepted theft of the full amount.

The directors of the food importing company said her thefts had taken money they hoped to retire with.

In a statement read to the court, Michael Winfield, the company’s managing director, said he and his wife were forced to sell their 50 per cent shares to their Italian partners at a reduced value.

The Recorder of York, Judge Stephen Ashurst, said while he had noted White had a young daughter and she was of previous good character, her “systematic dishonesty” meant he could not be unduly lenient.

He said: “The fact that your offending has come to light has had a significant impact on your daughter and those close to you. Gallo UK is in fact a joint company set up by Mr and Mrs Winfield. They were 50 per cent shareholders with their Italian partners.

“The couple have had to accept a take-it-or-leave-it offer to sell their shares at an undervalue as an effect of you plundering their futures.”

Speaking after the hearing, DC Hannah Wright, of York CID, said: “We are pleased with today’s sentence which reflects the seriousness of the offences in this case. The defendant abused her position to carry out systematic theft over a prolonged period of time.”