Prisoner ordered to sell home after £1.6m fraud

Neale Ainscow enjoyed the high life going on expensive holidays, buying cars and building up a collection of fine wines from the proceeds of his fraud on DePuy International Ltd.

By the time his dishonesty was uncovered at the medical equipment provider, which is part of Johnson and Johnson, he had pocketed £852,000, Leeds Crown Court heard last November.

Yesterday at the same court Recorder Abdul Iqbal declared Ainscow’s benefits from crime was £1,610,566 and ordered him to pay £207,639 within six months or face a further two-and-a-half years in prison in default.

He also lifted a restraint order so Ainscow can sell his house in Blackberry Way, Siddal, Halifax, to clear the debt.

The court heard everything else has already been sold or transferred to other parties.

Ainscow was jailed after he admitted three charges of theft and three of converting criminal property.

At the time of his arrest in January 2009 he was director of operations in the information technology group.

He was responsible for information systems at the company’s manufacturing sites as well as planning future IT investment.

He was on a salary of £60,000 a year which could rise to £87,000 when bonuses were factored in.

Judge James Spencer QC told him: “You took advantage of the trust placed in you in order to steal on a large scale.

“It was prolonged dishonesty fuelled by your greed.”