A senior accountant at Gedling Borough Council in England has been sentenced to five years in prison for stealing nearly £1 million of public funds to support his gambling addiction.
Alan Doig, 57, who worked for the council for 38 years, diverted £934,000 into his own accounts over almost two decades, Mail Online reports.
The Nottingham Crown Court heard that Doig, described as a ‘popular and credible’ staff member, used his knowledge of the council’s IT system to orchestrate the fraud, creating fake invoices and manipulating a financial car loan scheme.
“He thought he was spending £2,000-per-night,” said prosecutor Alan Murphy.
Doig’s fraudulent actions came to light when an assistant accountant noticed irregularities while preparing a report for HMRC.
“It was all he thought about, day in and day out,” Murphy added.
The council’s chief executive, Mike Hill, expressed the devastating impact of the theft, saying, “This loss has had a real and significant impact on not only the council, but every individual resident in the borough.”
Doig admitted to fraud by abuse of position and obtaining a money transfer by deception. His actions have left a lasting impact on the council’s finances, with Hill stating, “The theft represented around 19 percent of its current resource.”
Hill also noted that the betrayal shocked staff, as Doig had been considered a trusted colleague.