Marketer banged up for three years over £90,000 fraud

A marketing manager has been slapped with a three-year prison sentence for defrauding a Cambridgeshire motorsport company she worked for out of more than £90,000,

Lisa Rockett, 45, began working as a sales and marketing manager for the firm in September 2019. While the name of the company has not be released, it is said to manufacture and supply car racing parts on an international scale,

Her role included meeting customers, reaching sales targets, raising invoices, developing and maintaining customer relations and getting involved with new product development.

But in early 2022, a company director noticed some overdue invoices and asked Rockett to assist. He noted she was insistent that he did not contact the customers directly and said she would deal with it.

Rockett later sent a message to a colleague stating the outstanding invoices were owed by her and not customers and that she had sent car parts and been paid directly.

However, an internal investigation by the company director and owner found that Rockett had been selling parts to national and international customers at a reduced price, forging invoices and receiving payment into her personal accounts rather than the company accounts.

The company director informed police in February 2022 and an investigation was launched. During the process, officers discovered some of the companies Rockett was selling to had not receive the goods offered, despite paying for them.

Rockett, of Eagle Road, Warminster, Wiltshire, initially offered no comment during police interview, but later pleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of position, three counts of fraud by false representation and acquiring criminal property.

She was sentenced to three years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court

Detective Sergeant Kenny Reeves, who investigated the case, said: “Rockett has defrauded her employer and several customers out of substantial sums of money and caused untold hassle for them.

“Fraud might seem like a victimless crime when carried out against a company, but we mustn’t forget there are hard-working people behind these businesses who have built them up from scratch, as well as many more employees who rely on them to earn a living.

“I am glad justice has been done today and Rockett will be spending time behind bars for her crimes.”

Perhaps the most notorious marketing fraud was perpetrated by former Abbey National marketing services director Michael Doyle back in the 1990s.

Doyle was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the £1.2m fraud between November 30 1992 and October 26 1994.

The fraud saw him pay out huge sums from the bank’s “miscellaneous account” to firms controlled by seven co-defendants. He then “channelled” at least £250,000 back to himself.

Doyle was also ordered to pay £226,430 in compensation to the bank, while the co-defendants also served time in prison.

Marketer banged up for three years over £90,000 fraud

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