Woman stole £50k from firm while boss treated for cancer

A woman who stole at least £50,000 from her employer while the firm's boss battled cancer has been jailed.

Donna Pope, from Bickerstaffe in Lancashire, used the business credit card of Ultimatum Group Ltd to pay for foreign holidays, gym memberships, internet shopping and car insurance.

Preston Crown Court heard Pope had "betrayed" the trust of the company's managing director, Eddie Tucker, and caused "irreparable harm to his life, family and business".

The 47-year-old was jailed for three years and two months.

At the time of the fraud, between 2022 and 2024, Tucker was often away from work for medical treatment.

The company had to go into liquidation following the discovery of Pope's offending.

In his victim impact statement, Tucker said: "She was improving her life while mine was falling apart."

The court heard prosecutors had accepted the figure of £50,000, although Tucker believes the total amount stolen was more than £100,000.

The crime was uncovered when auditors were called into the business.

Pope initially claimed the company credit card had accidentally been linked to her PayPal account but later pleaded guilty to fraud.

Passing sentence, Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi said Pope had carried out a "deliberate and sustained" fraud, which was an "abuse of trust".

She said Mr Tucker's health had made him "vulnerable".

"You knew he was unwell and needed time off work.

"Your actions have had very severe implications for Mr Tucker and his family.

"He's had to take on that debt himself, when he should be concentrating on his health."

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