A financial director who stole nearly pnds stlg 20

A financial director who stole nearly pnds stlg 200,000 from his
holiday firm to keep his demanding glamorous American ex-wife in
luxury was jailed for two years today Monday.

While Carl Walker, 30, squandered most of the cash on her
he took only a fraction for himself.

Judge David Pitman commented: ‘You admitted spending
about pnds stlg 20,000 on yourself but the bulk went on her
demands and her massive debts.

‘
Mr Peter Jones, defending, said he continued to give
actress Mrs Natalie Walker large sums of cash even after they had
effectively split up because she threatened to expose his frauds.

After his arrest Walker admitted a 100,000 dollar scam which he
carried out 10 years ago when he lived, worked and met his wife-to-be
in New York.

It was revealed he could now also be facing justice at the hands
of American authorities, Snaresbrook Crown Court was told.

Walker, of Cyclops Mews, Cyclops Wharf, Docklands, East London,
pleaded guilty to five sample charges of theft and asked for 14
other similar matters to be taken into consideration.

Most of the offences took place between August 1990 and August
last year and involved the theft of pnds stlg 192,918 (correct)
from Pheonix Holidays Ltd, of Camden Road, Camden.

Judge Pitman added: ‘Incredibly, the vast majority of the cash
was stolen after you had actually finished with your wife, enabling
her to live a more glamorous life than she could otherwise have had.

‘If you did not meet her demands she would expose you to the
American and English authorities.

‘The unusual facts of the case are that there was an element of
duress imposed on your weak character.

‘
Judge Pitman said that most of the offences occurred while he was
in financial control of Phoenix.

‘That reflected the very high degree of trust given to you.

‘
He was jailed for two years concurrent on each charge
he admitted.

The court heard how in 1985 Walker started as a financial
controller for Phoenix before later being promoted to financial
director.

Mr Ian Copeman, prosecuting, explained that he was one of the
signatories on the company’s cheque book and was able to get the
managing director’s signature ‘in good faith.

‘
‘A day or two before August 9 last year Walker approached
company secretary Richard Robinson and told him he had been
removing from the company very large sums of money illegally,’
continued counsel.

After his arrest Walker made full admissions to his crimes.

He went on to tell detectives about a 100,000 dollar fraud which
he perpetrated while he lived and worked in New York.

The court heard that the methods used to take the money from the
Phoenix account included Walker taking carbonated backgrounds from old
cheques to create false entries in the company’s cashbook.

‘Mr Robinson found in a number of cases no invoices relating to
cheques and in some cases false invoices,’ continued counsel.

There were payments made out from the company which on the face
of it appeared valid but were in fact in one example for a holiday and
in another for expensive building work on Mr Walker’s luxury Docklands
flat.

Defence counsel said that Walker went to study and
work in New York in the early 80s and became involved in an older
‘somewhat glamorous lady and was besotted with her.

‘
After their marriage in 1985 the couple came to London but his
wife had built up massive debts, the court was told.

‘Her lifestyle was high, she was involved in the entertainment
industry.

‘
Mr Jones explained that the ‘pressure built up’ for
Walker to carry out the thefts which became more and more regular even
after they stopped living together.

The court was shown numerous substantial cheques made by Walker
to his wife throughout 1991.

‘Ultimately she threatened to expose him to the extent where he
was in a state of fright,’ added Mr Jones.

ENDS