A man and a woman, who defrauded a Failsworth business they were working for out of £70,000, have been ordered to pay money back or face prison.

At a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday (29 July), Fiona Kerr, 37, of Market Street in Hyde, was made subject to a compensation order, and must pay back £10 a week for a period of three years.

Meanwhile, Carl Hestford, 41, of Daisy Bank Mill Close in Culcheth, Warrington, has been ordered to pay £38,258.40 in full, or go to jail. 

Hestford has been given three months to pay the total amount, or he will face a six-month prison sentence and would still be liable to pay the money upon his release.

Hestford initially denied the offences of fraud by abuse of position and money laundering, but eventually did plead guilty alongside Kerr to both, and they were sentenced to two year suspended prison sentences at Minshull Street Crown Court in April 2021.

Their deception came to light at the end of 2016, when a customer wanted a refund from a purchase from Carousel Soft Furnishing Limited, where they were both working at the time.

The company director then became aware that the pair had set up a false PayPal account, and were siphoning off funds. It's believed around £70,000 was taken in total.

Financial Investigations Manager Ben Evans, from the Economic and Cyber Crime Section, said: "We're very pleased with today's Proceeds of Crime ruling, and hopefully this sends a powerful message that all criminal actions do have consequences.

"Often, taking away the money and the lifestyle that criminals crave, stings much more than sending them to prison. Both Hestford and Kerr were in positions of trust that they abused for their own gain, and I hope this sends a warning to anyone considering criminal behaviour, that not only will we do everything in our power to secure a conviction, but that you will have to pay back ill-gotten gains.

"While we are pleased with today's result, we are aware that fighting fraud is relentless. We will continue to work diligently to remove criminal proceeds from the hands of those who seek to profit from criminality, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the public for continuing to support our work by sharing information. If you see something, or suspect anything, say something - and we can do something about it."

Anyone with any information can contact police via the LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk, call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.