Claims adjuster jailed for nine months

A CLAIMS adjuster for an Insurance Company has been jailed for nine months for stealing more than £11,000 from his employers.John Sanderson, 50, paid cheques into the bank account of a Company which was no longer trading but for which he was a director, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

A CLAIMS adjuster for an Insurance Company has been jailed for nine months for stealing more than £11,000 from his employers.

John Sanderson, 50, paid cheques into the bank account of a Company which was no longer trading but for which he was a director, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Jailing Sanderson, who admitted three offences of theft and asked for nine offences to be considered, Judge Peter Thompson described the offences as "planned and skilled."

Peter Gair, prosecuting, said that Sanderson of Ipswich Street, Bury St Edmunds, was employed by Highway Insurance for three and a half years and the offences came to light during an audit after he left the company in October 2000.

After his arrest Sanderson, who had no previous convictions, made full admissions to the offences and said he had spent the money.

Christine Hayes, for Sanderson, said the account to which the cheques had been paid into was easily traceable to the defendant.

She said he had committed the offences after getting into financial difficulties.