Man conned firm out of £500,000

A 39-year-old man has been jailed for four years for conning his employer Carphone Warehouse out of more than £500,000 to fund a luxury lifestyle.

Accountant Stephen Luck, of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, had the money paid into his bank account and bought a Ferrari and two properties in Turkey.

Jailing him at the Old Bailey in London, Judge Paul Focke told Luck: "It was sheer greed."

Luck had pleaded guilty to false accounting involving 16 fake invoices.

The crimes took place from June 2003 to April this year.

Philippa McFarlane, prosecuting, said Luck had benefited by £584,401. He had made a full admission after being found out.

Angus Matheson, defending, said Luck had paid back half the amount and was taking steps to sell the Ferrari and family home to make further restitution.

The money had been put towards funding "a lifestyle which was beyond his means".

But now Luck was doing his best to put things right, said Mr Matheson.