Accountant, 37, who stole £350,000 from her technology firm to fund an online poker habit walks free from court as judge says she's 'not the stuff of which prison population is made'
Natalie Saul, 37, raided technology firm Idio's accounts to feed her gambling addiction
An accountant who stole £350,000 from her employers walked free after a judge said she would not fit in in prison. Natalie Saul, 37, from Wandsworth, south London raided technology firm Idio's accounts to feed her gambling addiction and blew more than £250,000 playing online poker.
The mother-of-one submitted more than 400 fake invoices to get the cash from the software company between March 2015 and December 2016.
But Saul was given a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours unpaid work by Judge Catherine Newman, who admitted her sentence was 'wholly exceptional' and fell outside sentencing guidelines.
She told Southwark Crown Court Saul was 'not the general stuff of which the prison population is made'.
The judge added: 'I'm taking a considerable risk that the Crown will think it lenient and appeal, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.'
Lucie Daniels, defending Saul, had argued her client was 'shaken' by the loss of her grandmother in 2013 and was a committed charity worker.
'This offending is so out of character, she has worked hard and paid her taxes and been a responsible citizen,' said Ms Daniels.
Yet her charitable efforts could not mitigate the loss to Idio, who hemorrhaged a total of £348,439 to her gambling addiction.
Saul's deception relied on her privileged role as office manager for the firm. She created fake invoices to the company which she sent to herself.
The mother-of-one submitted more than 400 fake invoices to get the cash from the software company between March 2015 and December 2016.
But Saul was given a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours unpaid work by Judge Catherine Newman, who admitted her sentence was 'wholly exceptional' and fell outside sentencing guidelines.
She told Southwark Crown Court Saul was 'not the general stuff of which the prison population is made'.
The judge added: 'I'm taking a considerable risk that the Crown will think it lenient and appeal, but it's a risk I'm willing to take.'
Lucie Daniels, defending Saul, had argued her client was 'shaken' by the loss of her grandmother in 2013 and was a committed charity worker.
'This offending is so out of character, she has worked hard and paid her taxes and been a responsible citizen,' said Ms Daniels.
Yet her charitable efforts could not mitigate the loss to Idio, who hemorrhaged a total of £348,439 to her gambling addiction.
Saul's deception relied on her privileged role as office manager for the firm. She created fake invoices to the company which she sent to herself.
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