A woman has been jailed after stealing more than £363,000 from the company she worked for over a six-year period.
Jennifer Smith, 50, from Wood Norton near Fakenham in Norfolk, was jailed for two years and eight months at Norwich Crown Court.
The court heard that Smith abused her position as an accountant at an agricultural business by transferring money from company accounts into her own bank account.
The fraud continued for years before it was uncovered.
In 2025, the firm’s director questioned Smith about financial irregularities. She initially claimed the missing money was the result of a small number of mistakes.
However, an investigation found that over quarter of a million pounds had been taken from the business between May 2023 and October 2025.
Further checks revealed the thefts had actually started years earlier, with a total of £363,082 stolen between 2019 and 2025.
She later admitted a charge of fraud by abuse of position.
Det Con Gary Ranger from Norfolk Police said: “Smith stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from her employer, a loss which had a real impact on the business.
“Fraud is not acceptable in any shape or form and I hope Smith’s conviction and imprisonment shows we will always work to bring offenders before the courts.”
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