THE financial controller of a Wellington firm has been jailed for more than 10 years for stealing over £1million from the company.

Michael Kennedy Black, 56, siphoned off the money from Bathroom Village over several years by setting up multiple bank accounts as a smokescreen.

After Black's frauds were uncovered, it emerged he had spent some of the £1.1million he stole on:

  • an extension and renovations at his home in Hallatrow, near Bristol;
  • floodlights and an umpire's chair for the tennis court in the grounds of the house;
  • a snow machine;
  • a drone;
  • Christmas shopping at Waitrose;
  • subscription to a gay escort website;
  • booking hotel rooms;
  • and fuel for personal travel.

He even used the company's own money to pay for equipment for his bathroom - even though he had been given a discount - and withdrew money from a company account using the firm's bank card at cashpoint machines.

Black was jailed at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (April 22) for six years and nine months for one count of fraud; four years to run consecutively for a second count; and 21 months concurrently on a third charge.

His actions resulted in the firm, based in Blackdown Business Park, going into administration, although it has since been rebuilt and is currently trading successfully.

After Black was jailed for the three frauds he pleaded guilty to, Bathroom Village chairman Steve Hawkins said: "I've got mixed feelings.

"Although he's gone to prison, there's a lot of money he stole which we'll never get back after we put our trust in him."

The company has a presence in Wellington, Exeter and Bristol, although it was forced to close shops in Plymouth and Cheltenham due to the losses it sustained because of Black's actions.

Black was introduced by an agency to Mr Hawkins and fellow director Paul Mason - who both suffered bouts of depression when the frauds came to light.

They have since discovered that Black, who enjoyed a salary of £40,000 plus bonuses, lied to the agency about his qualifications ahead of being employed by the company in 2008.

Mr Hawkins and Mr Mason began to notice "a few irregularities" after a few years and police were called in.

An in-depth investigation revealed Black had been moving money about between multiple bank accounts he set up.

That way he was able to hide his fraud when suppliers rang up complaining they had not been paid.

Initially Black denied everything and said he was "disgusted by the allegations", but he later said he had got the firm's money mixed up with his own cash.

He was suspended in September 2016 and managed to pay back £86,000.

He eventually resigned, telling the two directors: "I'm Michael Black. I'm the most important person in the company."

Mr Hawkins said: "We were really sick when we discovered what he'd been doing.

"He was a narcissist and would always give various reasons for the anomalies in the accounts.

"We discovered that out of 1,400 cheques he wrote, 610 were not related to the business.

"He'd make a payment and allocate it to something else.

"He claimed to a bank that he was on £126,000 a year to obtain a mortgage.

"He pleaded guilty to stealing £1.1million, but we think it could be £300,000 more than that.

"The company was doing well. Sales were growing and we were opening new shops. Everything seemed to be going the right way.

"But he forced the company into administration. Since then, we have been able to rebuild the company."

The company now has systems in place to ensure nothing similar could happen again.