A FRAUDSTER who stole almost £180,000 from Miele in Abingdon to cover his personal debts has been jailed for 28 months.

Oxford Crown Court heard yesterday that Richard Smith of Conifer Close in Exford, Somerset, had taken £178,769 from the company between 2010 and 2014 when he worked at their offices in Marcham Road.

The court was told the 41-year-old worked as a credit manager responsible for debt recovery and gave clients his bank details instead of Miele's before amending the accounts to cover his tracks.

By the time suspicion was aroused in November last year he had made 3,024 such amendments.

When questioned by his bosses he at first denied wrongdoing but then admitted he had stolen the money and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud when he appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court in June.

Robert Lindsey, prosecuting, said Smith's life had been "embroiled in personal debt" which had spiralled out of control after stock market losses in 2008, high spending on credit cards and a gambling habit he had started to try and make his money back.

Lucy Tapper, defending Smith, said he had paid £22,000 back into Miele's accounts before his fraud was discovered as he had managed to improve his personal finances.

She said his actions had impacted on his mental health and he intended to pay the full amount back no matter how long it took.

Sentencing Smith, Judge Ian Pringle gave him full credit for his early guilty plea but said the theft had placed his colleagues at the company under suspicion and had a "profound effect" on the companies he had stolen from.