Jail for woman who stole £60,000 from family business

Michelle Ramskill began working for steel fabricators Hartwell Manufacturing, based in Ossett, in 2006 where one cousin was managing director and she was related to two other directors, Philip Adams, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

Her responsibilities included paying invoices and wages and looking after petty cash but last year it was discovered she had been regularly stealing, mainly through cheque fraud.

In some cases Ramskill fraudulently made out cheques payable to herself and in others she made them out for cash, keeping the amounts for herself.

She also deceived directors into signing cheques on the understanding they were being used to settle bills but would subsequently insert her own details as payee.

Mr Adams said Ramskill tried to cover up what she had done by creating false invoices using bogus companies.

Initially the firm said they would deal with it internally because of her family connection but she subsequently went to the police and admitted what she had done.

She told officers: "I don't know where the money has gone, I have been living modestly."

Mr Adams said the company indicated the money would have been a useful "buffer" in the current recession and the loss was felt more keenly because of her close relationship.

Ramskill, 41, of Moor Top Avenue, Ackworth, Pontefract admitted theft between April 2007 and April 2009.

Jailing her, Judge Scott Wolstenholme said he could not suspend the sentence, as was urged by her counsel, since it was a "serious breach of trust". She was in a responsible position and the dishonesty was persistent.

"The breach of trust is worse than in the ordinary case because this was a family company and you were very close to the officers of the company."

Richard Canning, for Ramskill, said she had no obvious reason to have acted as she had.

"To say it has put a strain on the family is an understatement, the relationship has been shattered and it is doubtful it will ever become as close again."