North Shore Times (New Zealand)
$60k theft near-ruins business
A family business was brought to the brink of ruin after an employee the owners called a ‘‘friend’’ stole more than $60,000 from them.
Paula Nightingale worked for Albany-based EcoPro Cleaning from 2014 till February 2017. Over that time she stole more than $60,000 by creating fake invoices.
Nightingale appeared in the North Shore District Court on October 6 and was sentenced to nine months home detention.
Anne and Bob Quaid have run EcoPro Cleaning since 2003. Anne’s parents started it more than 40 years ago.
They hired Nightingale for accounts and administration and Bob Quaid told the court they called Nightingale a friend and ‘‘bent over backwards’’ for her.
Her offending was uncovered in February 2017.
Judge Claire Ryan said the $60,112.18 was stolen over 44 transactions, including $8000 in one month.
In this time the company started struggling, Quaid said.
They had to make an employee redundant and cancel a marketing scheme. The past two financial years were a ‘‘write off’’.
‘‘Her actions almost tipped the business over, we were on a knife edge,’’ Quaid said. ‘‘Our company has shrunk to the size it was five years ago. Our ability to grow has been completely stifled.
‘‘Paula was well aware of the stress we were under but this was not enough to make her stop,’’ Quaid told the judge.
‘‘What hurts the most is that she called us friends … she smiled in our faces and laughed with us when she was really laughing at us and lying to our faces.’’
Nightingale had entered a guilty plea to obtaining possession of a pecuniary advantage in June. At the sentencing, Judge Ryan said Nightingale’s actions had been particularly felt by the small company.
‘‘They make the important point that it’s not just them, but over 30 or so teams of cleaning contractors … They thought very much of the people you weren’t thinking of,’’ she said. ‘‘I acknowledge that they are people of hard work and integrity who have lost so much financially and in reputation because of what you did.’’
Judge Ryan sentenced Nightingale to nine months’ home detention and nine months of post-sentence conditions. She ordered Nightingale to repay the couple at $100 per week after a one-off payment of $1400.