A WOMAN who stole more than $500,000 from her employer in part to fund holidays and home renovations has been sentenced to four years in a West Australian prison.
Donna-Lee McCole, 47, was working as an office administrator at P & G Body Builders in Bibra Lake between November 2010 and August 2017 when she stole a total of $525,329.
One company owner eventually noticed a suspicious transaction, which led to a review that revealed McCole had been arranging payments into three of her own bank accounts, the WA District Court heard on Tuesday.
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READ NOWJudge Fiona Vernon said McCole initially stole money to repay debts incurred after a relationship breakdown and a period of unemployment.
“However, you continued to steal from your employer for a very long time … to fund purchases that you wanted to make,” she said.
They included a deposit on her house, holidays, home renovations and payments stemming from a gastric bypass operation.
Judge Vernon said McCole was driven by selfishness and greed.
“You were able to arrange the payments into your own accounts because your employers trusted you and they were operating a small business,” she said.
“You were in a position of significant trust and responsibility.”
McCole, who pleaded guilty, will spend at least two years behind bars before she can be eligible for parole and must pay reparations.
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