A Merseyside office administrator who defrauded her employer of more than £33,000 to fund foreign holidays has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Zoe Bundy, 49, from Rainford, admitted three counts of fraud by abuse of position at Liverpool Magistrates' Court earlier this month. She received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years.
The mother stole £33,096.32 from North West Climate Services, a St Helens-based air conditioning firm where she worked, by redirecting supplier payments to her personal bank account.
The court ordered Bundy to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days and pay court costs plus the mandatory victim surcharge.
Bundy joined the company as an office administrator in 2020 and worked alongside the managing director's daughter.
When his daughter left to travel to Australia, Bundy assumed the role of office manager.
Zoe Bundy, 49, from Rainford, admitted three counts of fraud by abuse of position
The fraud occurred over nine months in 2023, from January 29 to September 9.
Court documents revealed three separate periods of fraudulent activity totalling £14,320.32, £9,157.24 and £9,618.76.
Managing director Jason Hunter explained how Bundy executed the scheme: "She would come to me with a list of what needed paying to suppliers, but for all the suppliers, she had changed the details to her bank account.
"I thought the money was going to the suppliers every time, but it was going to her."
The 53-year-old business owner described the devastating impact of Bundy's betrayal. "I was suicidal. She completely abused my trust. It's had a massive impact on me.
"I'm not the same person I was before. I can't trust anybody," Hunter said.
He revealed that whilst he struggled financially, Bundy would discuss her holiday plans in the office. "She would be there in the office telling me about the plans she had for the next day. She was doing it with my money."
Hunter said the financial damage extended beyond the stolen amount as he had to reimburse suppliers and resolve tax issues. "Financially, this has shattered me," he stated.
Zoe Bundy received a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, when she appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court
WIKICOMMONS
The fraud came to light when Hunter began receiving correspondence from HMRC regarding unpaid taxes. "I started getting letters from HMRC about unpaid money.
"I had been paying all that time. It was just going to her," he explained.
Despite the court ordering a suspended sentence, Hunter expressed dissatisfaction with the punishment. "What she got was not a proper sentence - she knew what she was doing. She is a fraudster. A fraudster and a thief," he said.
The stolen funds have since been repaid in full, though Hunter maintains the broader financial impact has been severe.
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