Bookkeeper jailed for stealing £1.98m from agent

A bookkeeper has been jailed for five years after stealing £1.98m from an estate agency to fund his gambling addiction and lavish lifestyle.

Julian Kremer, 49, forged emails and stole money between 2008 and 2013 from Berkshire agency Richard Worth Estate And Land Agents.

Reading Crown Court has been told that Kremer forged emails to show falsely inflated accounts which disguised his own thefts of money for gambling, hotel stays and the purchase of land in Scotland which entitled him to use the title Laird.

The Get Reading news website reports that the illegal activities continued for well over four years while Kremer plundered give different accounts. His activities were eventually discovered two years ago when there was no money left to pay employees.

The thefts were from Stephen Jones, managing director of Richard Worth Limited, Richard Worth Residential Lettings and Richard Worth Holdings.

The court heard that £630,600 was spent by kremer on two internet gaming sites, Game Account and The Palace Group, one of which accorded him the status of a VIP customer.

Recorder Martin Heslop QC described the theft as sophisticated and at times extremely clever, involving fraud, misrepresentation and forgery.

Addressing Kremer, who sobbed in the dock, he said: It was about as big a case as one could imagine. A review of the expenditure shows you were using the money to enjoy a significant high level of living. It has had the effect of disaster on the personal lives and financial world of those people who were close to you and trusted you.