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Travel agent jailed for stealing from family firm
A travel agent has been jailed for eight months for stealing more than £13,000 from the family-run company where she worked for 11 years.
Belinda Traves, 51, befriended the owners of Holiday Travel in Bridlington, where she rose to the position of manager, but she went on to steal from her bosses during a five-year campaign.
Traves denied all charges but was convicted by a jury of three counts of fraud and three of theft, totaling £13,302.18, at Hull Crown Court in April.
She was found not guilty of a further charge, fraud by falsifying records, which related to the alleged theft of £83,000 in cash.
Sentencing her yesterday, Recorder Patrick Palmer told Traves: "I form the view that this was a thoroughly mean offence. Throughout this hearing you continued to deny the offence and showed no remorse at all."
The judge said the effect on the company’s owners and directors, brothers Steve and Timothy Allerston, had been great and continued to be felt.
He said: "I’ve read the victim impact statements from Mr Stephen and Mr Timothy Allerston.
"I saw both of those gentlemen give evidence in court, and it’s quite clear to me that your offending against them has caused them considerable upset indeed, not only when they were investigating the offences but in recent years.
"The effect of those offences is still affecting their business.
"They take that personally and it’s plain that is still causing distress to them.
"There can only have been one motive and that must have been greed."
Steve Allerston told the court that Traves had become such a good friend that although two colleagues complained in 2008 that she had replaced their initials on holiday files with her own, potentially affecting their commission, he decided to "brush it under the carpet". A second investigation in 2012 led to police being called in and she was eventually arrested in April 2013.
Her barrister, Nicholas de la Poer, told the court: "She had, for more than 45 years, led not just a crime-free life but an exemplary life."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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