Accountant's £250k fraud caused Devon school's closure

The Devon School of English in Paignton closed after James Perry defrauded it

An accountant whose £250,000 of thefts drove a language school into liquidation has been jailed.

James Perry, 46, created scores of false payments over six years to siphon off the cash from the Devon School of English in Paignton, a court heard.

The company had been run successfully for almost 50 years by the same family.

Perry, of Ashford, Kent, who admitted fraud while in a position of trust and theft, was jailed for three years and eight months.

Exeter Crown Court heard 19 jobs were lost when the company folded.

It was told Mr Perry spent the money he stole on drink, drugs and gambling.

'Appalling' fraud

The Hawthorne family were forced to make staff redundant in an attempt to survive but the business never recovered and went into liquidation a year ago.

It had arranged educational holidays for tens of thousands of children from all over the world since 1971.

In addition to the loss of 19 permanent and 60 seasonal jobs, the school also provided income for 1,500 host families for its students all over south Devon, the court heard.

In a victim statement he read out in court, former principal Paul Hawthorne said: "Perry's fraud made the liquidation inevitable.

"He betrayed all those around him with no regard to the hardship he caused.

"He has cost many people their livelihoods and our sense of deep sadness and betrayal is acute."

Perry started the fraud within weeks of taking up his job in 2011 and continued until he was caught in mid-2017, the court heard.

Judge Timothy Rose ordered an investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act which may result in the seizure of any remaining assets from Perry.

He told Perry: "What you did over six years was appalling.

"This was a serious, manipulative and quite sophisticated fraud in which you took advantage of your position. You set about systematic and repetitive stealing."

Mr Jonathan Anders, defending, said the fraud was out of character and committed when Perry was in an unhappy marriage.