Greedy worker spent £350,000 stolen from employer on hotels and executive cars

Harminder Gill, of Moxley near Darlaston, was jailed on Wednesday after he previously admitted fraud.

The 27-year-old, who worked in the payroll department at Warwickshire company Euro Car Parts, exploited a glitch in the system and transferred funds to himself which he spent on hotel suites and cars.

Warwick Crown Court heard how he set up six bank accounts in his own name and the name of a family member then started transferring money from the payroll.

At first he transferred just a few thousand pounds at a time, but soon became more brazen and started transferring bigger sums, the largest amount being £32,000.

Between May 2019 and October 2021 he made 181 transactions totalling £350,000. Gill proceeded to splash the cash on a jet set lifestyle. He spent £36,000 hiring executive cars and £40,000 on a family holiday to Ibiza.

He was a regular guest at the Shard in London where he frequently hired out suites to entertain friends.

His crime came to light when a colleague complained about not being of not being paid and an audit of the payroll system was carried out. It showed three bank accounts in Gill’s name and the fraud was uncovered.

He was arrested at his home in Hawkswood Drive in May last year, and in interview admitted taking all the money.

For fraud he was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Detective Constable Kevin Usher, from Warwickshire Police CID, said: “Gill was brazenly stealing this money from his employer and used it to portray an image of wealth to everyone who knew him. The reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“He started off small, but like many offenders like this he became greedy and now he is left with nothing and facing a lengthy prison sentence that he fully deserves.

Tejinder Sandhu, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Gill committed a serious offence when he took advantage of his employer, causing a loss of more than £340,000 to fund his luxurious lifestyle.

"His offending continued for a period of two years and his actions show that he deliberately diverted transactions to his own accounts and those of his family members without their knowledge or consent.

“As today’s sentencing shows we will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of trust to make a gain for themselves. Mr Gill has now received a sentence that reflects the seriousness of his offending.”