A trusted accountant, earning a substantial annual wage of £200,000, has been jailed for stealing over £2.4 million from a series of family-run businesses in order to fund a gambling habit and an extravagant lifestyle including luxury cruises. Jemma Lewis, 40, who had worked with the companies for more than fifteen years, admitted to defrauding five companies within the group, despite being considered more like a family member than an employee by her employer.
The case was heard at Newport Crown Court, where prosecutors outlined the significant financial and emotional turmoil caused by Lewis’ actions. She began her career with the group in 2007, starting as a receptionist before being promoted to company accountant after receiving full accountancy training, funded by the business owner, James Davies. Her close professional bond with Davies intensified the shock and distress once the scale of her deception was uncovered.
Lewis exploited her position after the firm moved to an online banking system in 2017, a transition that appeared to provide new opportunities for misappropriating company funds. Over several years, the businesses suffered unexplained losses and a series of irregular payments to third-party accounts that eventually aroused suspicion. It was only after her resignation in 2023, when a new accountant was appointed and reviewed previous transactions, that the extent of Lewis’s fraud was revealed.
Court documents confirmed that throughout the period from 2018 to 2023, over £3.6 million had been transferred to Lewis’ personal accounts. Once legitimate salary and related payments were subtracted, the amount stolen still exceeded £2.4 million. Analysis showed that at least £1.4 million was directed to gambling companies, though the precise figure may be higher as not all recipients were easily identifiable. In addition, Lewis spent tens of thousands on cryptocurrency platforms and thousands more on luxury holiday bookings, including over £3,000 with lastminute.com and £1,000 each on cruise and holiday providers.
The consequences of Lewis’s deception rippled beyond the company ledgers, directly affecting staff. One senior director was so overwhelmed by stress that he was forced to take a leave of absence and subsequently resigned. Another long-standing employee is still unable to access her pension after Lewis allegedly failed to make the necessary contributions. The business group also fell short of its tax obligations due to the unrecorded losses.
Lewis’s fraudulent activity was further compounded when she requested a £163,000 loan from her employer, claiming it would help her purchase a home. Though the sum was eventually returned by her mother and brother, this request took place whilst her deception was ongoing. In a moving victim statement, Mr Davies described the widespread fall-out from Lewis’s actions, expressing sadness that the community of employees and, by extension, taxpayers, had been so severely affected.
Legal representatives for Lewis emphasised her longstanding struggle with gambling addiction, asserting that she did not gamble for profit but was consumed by compulsion. Her lawyer indicated that she has been free from gambling for over a year and hopes to use her experience to assist others in similar circumstances. Despite losing her employment, home, and facing prison, it was suggested that Lewis is working to rebuild her integrity.
Presiding Judge Daniel Williams sentenced Lewis to five years in prison, with her sentences to run concurrently. During his conclusion, he highlighted not only the scale but the lasting damage of her crimes, specifically referencing the ‘ruinous effect on its victims’. He also reflected on Lewis’s privileged yet traumatic upbringing and longstanding battles with addiction.
The story serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability even close-knit businesses can face and the devastating personal and professional repercussions that can arise from unchecked addiction. The case has prompted wider discussions about financial oversight and employee wellness in local business communities.