Finance boss helped himself to firm's £125,000

Swindler's greed earns him 18-month jail sentence

Jailed: Financial controller Anthony Massot admitted embezzling £125,000 from computer firm where he worked

A greedy financial controller was yesterday jailed for 18 months after embezzling £125,000 from the computer company he worked for.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that Anthony Massot bought goods for S.J. Kennedy Ltd, in Cambuslang, using his own credit card.

However, when reimbursing himself from company funds, he took more than he should have – and pocketed the extra.

Massot, from Neilston, was snared when the company accounts were audited.

In court, he admitted embezzling the cash between March 2007 and July 2010.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Lindsay Wood said: “To begin with, you were trying to assist your employers. Unfortunately, greed took over and you helped yourself to money.”

The court heard how 49-year-old Massot worked for a computer supply company, providing hardware and software to commercial clients, but the firm’s bank raised queries about invoicing and that led to an audit.

Procurator fiscal depute Harry Findlay said “anomalies” were spotted during an examination of company affairs and Massot admitted his crime after he was challenged by a company director.

Massot confessed to bosses he had embezzled around £97,000 and agreed to make repayments.

He sold assets, including a caravan and jewellery, totalling £71,788, which he gave to his employers.

Defence advocate Mark Moir said that, although Massot is now unemployed, his wife works and they are repaying the money to liquidators of the company at a rate of £205 a month.

He added that his client is “genuinely remorseful” and is making efforts to repay the cash.

Mr Moir told the court that Massot’s crime was not the cause of the firm going into liquidation.