AN ACCOUNTANT who stole £80,000 from the luxury hotel he worked at laundered the money he stole by sending it to accounts under his wife and children’s names.

Nitin Gupta, of Eden Close, Slough, worked in the finance team at the four-star Macdonald Berystede Hotel and Spa in Ascot.

The 42-year-old stole the cash over a period of 22 months using false accounting practices, Reading Crown Court heard.

Despite this, the Slough man was spared prison and walked free from court after promising to pay the money back.

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Christina Josephides, prosecuting, said Gupta got found out when during a stock take the finance team noticed a “discrepancy” related to £6,900 worth of missing liquor.

“Upon further investigation, it was discovered the defendant had been stealing money over a period of time [January 2018 - November 2019] and adjusting the books in order to conceal his activities.”

Ms Josephides said Gupta had paid back £35,000 of the £80,000 stolen.

 

Nitin Gupta stole £80,000 from a luxury hotel in Ascot.

Nitin Gupta stole £80,000 from a luxury hotel in Ascot.

 

Benjamin Waidhofer, defending, said the only reason his client had not paid back all the money was because of “practical difficulties”.

With this in mind, His Honour Judge Burgess waved away the prosecution’s plea for a costs order of £1,200 in order to allow Gupta to pay back the rest of the stolen money.

The Judge said: “What is important here is reparation for the victim.”

Sentencing, Judge Burgess added: “You committed a serious offence of theft over a prolonged period of time.

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“It was nearly a two-year period.

“You stole £80,000 in gross breach of the trust that had been placed in you by your employers.”

Judge Burgess said that Gupta worked as the assistant finance controller at the hotel.

Reading Crown Court heard how two further counts of false accounting and money laundering were left to lie on file as they were considered in the boundaries of the theft conviction.

The Judge told the court that Gupta sent the stolen money to accounts set up under his wife and children’s names.

But Gupta was spared a prison term after Judge Burgess told the court the defendant had shown “genuine remorse” for what he had done and that he was not a danger to the public.

Judge Burgess also said Gupta’s repayment of the stolen money was a factor in choosing to suspend his sentence.

He said: “You have not bought your way out of custody.

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“That is not the position here.

“It is a demonstration you have put your offending behind you in order to raise the money necessary.”

Gupta was handed a 22-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

He was ordered to pay the remaining £45,000 back to the hotel by Monday, February 7.

In addition to this, Gupta will have to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work.

He was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Monday, January 17.