A FRAUDSTER who stole nearly £900,000 from her employers to spend on a jet-set lifestyle has been jailed for four years.

Bookkeeper

Deborah Wolstencroft, aged 51, from Wolrige Avenue, Plympton, was

jailed yesterday after admitting six thefts and one attempted theft from

Marquesa Search Systems Ltd in Chagford.

She stole ten times her

earnings each year and spent the money on travelling to Europe and the

United States and on jewellery purchasing sprees.

Her barrister

Andrew Maitland told the court bailiffs have seized her assets and

"removed everything that couldn't be nailed down".

Prosecutor

Sean Brunton said the total amount stolen was £877,000 between December

2001 and February last year. Wolstencroft was paid around £15,500

annually for three days work a week as a bookkeeper.

The firm was

a privately owned, 'intellectual property' company, which searches for

resources for trademarks or patents, with an annual turnover of about

£500,000.

She began work there in 2001 and was a trusted

employee, with access to company bank accounts and passwords and

permission to sign cheques, Exeter Crown Court heard.

Wolstencroft paid cheques and made internet transfers into her own account and several others.

"It

was nothing more subtle than that," said Mr Brunton. "She presented

blank cheques for signing to one of the company founders and others and

would make it payable to herself."

The company's bank, which was

the Okehampton branch of Lloyds TSB, became concerned and contacted her

employers when she attempted to pay a £4,216 cheque into her account.

Mr Brunton said: "She was making off with approximately ten times her salary each year.

"There

were many transactions for jewellery, often purchased abroad. Over the

years, she was to travel to France, Ireland, Spain, Denmark and the US."

Mr

Brunton said her employers and colleagues had been left feeling

betrayed and angry. The company was still trading but the pension fund

had been "reduced massively" by the crimes.

A civil judgement

had been made that she must repay £350,000 but she was only expected to

have around £60,000 assets. A confiscation hearing will also be held on a

date to be set.

Defence counsel Andrew Maitland said his client had no criminal record and was in poor health after two knee replacements.

Judge

John Neligan said: "You were in a trusted position and you abused that

trust in a very serious way. The money was used for what could only be

described as an extravagant lifestyle, trips abroad and purchases of

jewellery."