Business manager jailed for stealing $30,000 from employer over seven months

A manager of a Queensland equipment hire company has been jailed for two years for pocketing more than $30,000 from his employer.

Stanley George Gotts used the money he stole to pay debts.

A trusted manager of a Queensland equipment hire company has been jailed for two years for pocketing more than $30,000 from his employer in a “multitude of regular transactions”.

Stanley George Gotts, a father of three, appeared in the District Court in Brisbane on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to one charge of dishonest application of $30,538 by an employee.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren sentenced him to two years’ jail, to be suspended after he serves four months for what she described as a “moderately-sophisticated” but “effective” fraud.

“You deliberately set out to help yourself to money that you knew was not yours, it involved a gross breach of trust in your position as branch manager,” Judge Rosengren told him.

“It only ceased once the bank became suspicious and contacted your employer,” she told him.

Prosecutor Halle Wade submitted that UK-born Gotts should be jailed for three years for the fraud.

Ms Wade told the court that Gotts was the branch manager of Active Hire in Deception Bay when he stole the money over almost seven months in 2023.

He used the EFTPOS machine to issue a total of 85 refunds into his own bank accounts, she told the court.

She told Judge Rosengren that on numerous occasions the large refunds into his account came before or after he was paying his bills and that he had between $22,000 and $30,000 in his savings account at the time.

As the balance of his account was depleting when he paid bills, he was replenishing it from the EFTPOS transfers, the court heard.

On Valentine’s Day in 2023 he defrauded $525 from the EFTPOS refunds then paid a $431 speeding fine.

Two days later he paid himself $1100 from the EFTPOS and the next day paid a $626 fine to the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.

Four days later he paid himself $2000 from the EFTPOS then he paid $1470

to a property management company, the court heard.

Ultimately his fraud was discovered when the bank contacted Active Hire, the court heard.

Defence counsel David Funch told the court that his client had apologised to his former employer and was now working at Redcliffe Towing as a tow-truck driver.

Mr Funch told the court his client was well regarded in the community and by his current employer and had favourable references.

Gott has paid $15,000 into his solicitor’s trust account to repay the debt, and has agreed to repay a further $15,000.

His new employer and his wife were in court to support him, Mr Funch submitted.

He said that Gotts was a UK citizen, having moved to Australia when he was 20, which could mean he risks deportation if sentenced to time behind bars.

“I accept that deportation would be a hardship for you, with your wife and your children here,” Judge Rosengren told him.

Originally published as Business manager jailed for stealing $30,000 from employer over seven months