Vet boss facing jail after stealing nearly £400,000 from surgery to fund her lavish lifestyle

April 17th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Luke Salkeld

PUBLISHED:

12:50 EST, 16 April 2012

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UPDATED:

12:52 EST, 16 April 2012

The boss of a veterinary surgery is facing jail after she stole £220,000 from the business to fund her lavish lifestyle.

Della Barbour, who was accused of stealing a total of almost £400,000, is said to have spent the stolen money on holidays, private school fees and hair-dos.

The 49-year-old’s theft over five years meant the practice struggled financially, with some of her former colleagues losing their jobs or missing out on wage rises.

Betrayal: Della Barbour, 49, leaves Plymouth Crown Court, Devon. The former vet surgery manager admits stealing £220,000 from the practice, while a further £170,000 remains unaccounted for

Yesterday Barbour admitted stealing from the practice in Plymouth, Devon, and a second charge of false accounting.

After the case some of Barbour’s ex-colleagues, who had been in tears in court, spoke about the effect of her stealing from the Elm Veterinary Surgery group.

One woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘She spent the money on her high life.

‘She has two children who are being privately educated. She lives in an old rectory which she rents.

‘And she spent money on holidays and her hairstyles.’

Defence barrister Andrew Maitland said practice manager Barbour admitted stealing £220,000 but specialists may have to be brought in to seek out the remaining £170,000 which so far has not been accounted for.

Impact: Tearful ex-colleagues told police they felt let down by Barbour's actions

Impact: Tearful ex-colleagues told police they felt let down by Barbour’s actions

The Crown accepted her denial of a third charge of falsifying the daily takings book.

Judge Francis Gilbert QC said all options would be open to the sentencing judge including custody.

After the case Det Con Daniel Parkinson said: ‘It certainly has had an impact on her colleagues and the business.

‘It has had an emotional impact on people who have been working with her over a long period of time. They feel betrayed and let down.

‘They regarded her as a friend and she worked at the same practice for many years, before she started committing the offences in 2006. They were close colleagues.

‘It caused the practice to struggle financially. It is a long established practice and there was the threat of redundancies.’

Plymouth Crown Court heard £390,000 has been ‘salted away’ and some of it has been spent whereas some is ‘untraceable’.

Barbour, of Yelverton, Devon, will be sentenced next month and was bailed.

It is thought she was employed as practice manager for about a decade.

A pre-sentence report has been ordered and Mr Maitland said: ‘There is a considerable background to this case.’

She was released on unconditional bail and the case was adjourned until June 8.