Man jailed for taking £500,000 from family firm

Leicestershire Police said Lee Kent took the money to fund a gambling habit

A man who defrauded a family business out of more than £500,000 has been jailed.

Leicestershire Police said Lee Kent defrauded Fox Sports Surfacing Ltd when he redirected money to his own accounts, as well as more than £50,000 to a relative.

The 45-year-old, of Main Street in Normanton upon Soar, near Loughborough, was found guilty of two counts of fraud by abuse of position and two counts of false accounting after a trial.

He was sentenced to six and a half years in prison at Leicester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Police said Kent used the money "to fund his gambling habit", with the offences taking place between 2014 and 2017.

They were only discovered when an office manager opened credit card statements.

A statement said the case was reported eight years ago, which led to the launch of "a lengthy and complex investigation".

Nicole McIntyre, from the force's economic crime unit, said confiscation proceedings to recover the funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) are now under way, with the defendant facing an extended sentence should he refuse to comply.

"This investigation did take some time to reach prosecution due to the steps Kent took to cover his tracks," she said.

"We hope [he] can now reflect on his actions as he faces a considerable time in prison and gets the help he needs."