Fraudster Tracy Bowman swindled her employer out of more than £370,000 to fund her raging gambling addiction. The 56-year-old began ripping off Longport-based Jackmark Engineering almost as soon as she started working as the company’s secretary and bookkeeper in 2019.

For the next three years she used the firm as a ‘personal piggy bank’ to fund her gambling habit and siphoned £376,000 into her own accounts. Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard she spent £200,000 on gambling and a further £100,000 on online shopping.

Police found she had made internet searches for ‘fraud by employees’; ‘Whether disciplinary proceedings would cease on resignation’; ‘how to get away with not attending court’; and ‘faking a drug addiction’.

Her actions placed the firm’s 20 employees at risk. Now Bowman has been jailed for 30 months.

READ: Ex-soldier had ‘nasty’ weapon in his Audi for if any deals went sour Zak Biddulph, 30, was jailed at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court

READ: Aspiring property developer stashed cocaine in his fridge for other criminals Omar Osman, 23, was spared jail at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court

Prosecutor Ben Lawrence said family firm Jackmark Engineering had a turnover of £1,000,000 a year. Mr Lawrence said: “She was entrusted with sales invoices. The company had a core of 80 suppliers.

“Mark Jackson had worked there for 23 years and was appointed managing director in February 2022. He sought to reconcile the financial position of the company and employed an accountancy firm. They held a review.”

The court heard that it was at this point the fraud came to light. Mr Lawrence said: “The defendant made a formal declaration that invoices were stored on the same system. She left the office and went home. She knew that the cat was out of the bag. She ceased to communicate with those at the company.

“It became apparent she had opened bank accounts for fictitious suppliers. She would create false invoices so funds would be paid into the accounts which she controlled. She had also made payments into her own bank account.

“She failed to attend work the next day. She claimed her mother was suffering from ill health. She continued to ignore communications from the company. She then sent a letter to the company saying she was depressed and could not attend work.”

An investigation was carried out and by September 2022 the fraud was valued at £376,000. Mr Lawrence said: “The fraudulent payments began in June 2019, the month she began her employment. The fraud continued throughout the three-year period of her employment.

“She had a significant gambling habit and spent money on relatively high value items. £200,000 was spent on gambling and £100,000 on online shopping.”

Managing director Mark Jackson told the court: “It has caused a massive impact financially for the company and also the employees. It could have risked a lot of people’s livelihoods. We have managed to keep the employees on. It has caused a loss to us as a company.

“For the past two years it has caused trauma and mental health problems to us as a family.”

Bowman, of Salop Place, Kidsgrove, pleaded guilty to fraud.

Steve Hennessy, mitigating, conceded Bowman exaggerated her mother’s illness. He said: “She said her mother had slipped into a diabetic coma. Her mother was ill but there is no evidence that that had occurred.”

He said matters spiralled for Bowman on 2019 when she lost her sister and her mum suffered poor health and required significant assistance.

He said Bowman was remorseful. Mr Hennessy conceded her actions risked the livelihoods of all of her colleagues. But he added: “The business, thankfully, has continued. No-one lost their employment or suffered any reduction in their earnings.”

Judge Michael Maher said: “You used the company as your own personal piggy bank to fund your gambling addiction. Over a three year period you took in excess of a third of a million pounds, £376,000.

“To mask your fraud you set up false supply companies. And you set up three bank accounts to divert company money into your account and created false invoices to facilitate this.

“The MD, Mr Jackson, tells me it has had a massive impact on the company. Twenty jobs were put at risk. There was a question mark as to whether the company could remain trading. It is a testament to their industry that it is.

“When your scam came to light you said your mother had fallen into a diabetic coma. I have no doubt that was a knee-jerk reaction and you were very frightened of what would happen to you. Two thirds of the money that you defrauded went to fund your gambling addiction.”

A Proceeds of Crime hearing will be held at a later date.

COURT AND CRIME NEWSLETTER: Sign up for email alerts direct to your inbox