Debt firm worker stole £380,000 to feed gambling addiction after bookmakers offered him free bets

A finance worker stole money to feed a spiralling gambling habit after becoming hooked when bookmakers offered him free bets and away days to race meetings.

Glyn Rothwell, 36, stole £380,000 after claiming betting companies deposited cash in his account and gave him complimentary hospitality at Cheltenham Races. 

He said he got himself into a ‘vortex of debt’ after bookmakers encouraged him to place more bets.  

Over a four year period Rothwell, who worked as a client account supervisor at debt management firm Harrington Brooks, stole money from company accounts.

He used unwitting colleagues and even housemates he worked with to ‘approve’ payments which then went into his own account.

Rothwell, from Sale, near Altrincham, was a Client Account Supervisor and was assigned to return of credit payments to the correct recipients. 

The scam was discovered when Harrington Brooks was taken over by digital banking firm Think Money and officials discovered money missing during an audit. 

Inquiries revealed 343 fraudulent transactions between 2015 and 2019.

Rothwell even stole £92,000 whilst serving a three month notice period after he tendered his resignation before the thefts were uncovered.

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Rothwell admitted fraud by abuse of position and was jailed for three years.

Prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said: ‘He formed a relationship where he was living with one such person and he befriended them, and they trusted what he was saying. 

‘He diverted the money from the company to his personal account. In total the amount of money he took was just under £382,000.  

He added: ‘The investigation by the company cost £38,400 and they have reimbursed all the money to the rightful people. 

‘In total £420,378.63 has had to be paid out as a result of the fraud. 

‘He admitted he had been taking to money, he had been acting alone and not under pressure, he had been doing this because he had amassed gambling debts and a drug addiction to cocaine.’

In mitigation defence barrister Sarah Magill said: ‘It is rooted in a long and entrenched gambling and drug addiction which spun out of control. 

‘Book makers would put funds into his account and entice him into losing more money by offering hospitality such as days at Cheltenham Races to encourage him to gamble further.’

She added: ‘It explains how a man can take vast amounts of money from an employer and be left with nothing more than a prison sentence.’ 

Sentencing Judge John Edwards told Rothwell: ‘I accept that you have found yourself in a vortex of debt through, gambling and class A drugs which started when your life was in a low ebb.  

‘However this was a vast amount of money that you took and a lot of time would have been spent in investigating it. 

‘Fraud of this class and imbued as you were with this level of trust has to be marked by custody.’

Rothwell will be subject to a proceeds of crime act hearing at a later date.