£248,000 stolen from firm all lost to gambling

AN accounts manager stole nearly a quarter of a million pounds from Dunelm and blew the lot gambling.

Thomas Eaton, pictured, systematically swindled his employers over four years to fund his addiction – and also splurged away his house deposit and wedding savings.

He finally hit “rock bottom” when he lost the family’s weekly shopping money and owned up at work.

The 34-year-old, of North View Close, Asfordby Valley, admitted fraudulently obtaining £248,354 from Syston home furnishings chain Dunelm between January 2015 and January 2019.

Tony Stanford, prosecuting at Leicester Crown Court, said Eaton worked for Dunelm from 2010 and was promoted from a purchase ledger clerk to a supervisor in 2014.

He was responsible for a team of three, dealing with invoices, expenses and processing company credit cards.

Dunelm also incurred £100,000 of additional costs investigating the fraud.

Two gaming companies voluntarily refunded £55,424 of the money to Dunelm and a further £36,000 was “in the pipeline,” although other betting firms refused to pay anything back.

Nichola Cafferkey, mitigating, said the defendant’s numerous references included from Carolyn Harris MP, of the cross-party parliamentary group dealing with harm caused by gambling, Eaton’s current employer, friends, his wife and business people.

She said: “The money didn’t go on fancy shopping trips or holidays.

“Gambling has been likened to an illness. He was completely shocked to realise it involved almost £250,000.

“He’s lost the accountancy career he was developing, he almost lost his family and his life was in complete tatters.”

The court heard Eaton, who has no previous convictions, was undergoing therapy and has married his partner.

He was also helping other gambling addicts via YouTube videos and had formed a group to support other families caught up in a similar situation.

Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “As it happens I saw the Panorama television programme referred to in several of your references about how someone addicted to gambling was being harassed and given quite disgusting inducements to continue their addiction.

“As revolted as I am by that, along with the vast majority of people in this country, this case is about what you have done, not what they have done.

“It’s greatly to your credit you brought this to light yourself and the efforts you’ve made to conquer your addiction.

“The remedy was in your hands all this time. Sadly, we had to wait four years for you to see the light and do the decent thing.”

“There’s still a price to pay because all the honest people in this country who have problems... they don’t resort to offending, especially on this scale. “I accept your remorse is genuine.” At an earlier hearing, Eaton admitted abusing his position to fraudulently obtain £116,641 as well as £1,118.

He pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining three company credit cards for himself and admitted using them to make a gain of £18,336.

The defendant further admitted false accounting, by falsifying an accounts book and submitting 20 cash expense claims he knew were untrue or misleading, amounting to £112,323.

He was jailed for 27 months.

DUNELM ACCOUNTS MANAGER EVENTUALLY CONFESSED