9:14 am, May 5, 2023
An Edwin May worker is facing jail after she admitted pocketing almost £500,000 from the car dealership.
Norma Smyth spent seven years abusing her position of trust at the Ulster outfit to steal £437,824.61.
She also accessed company accounts to secure herself a further £18,578.86 and used the money to pay personal invoices and finance repayments on her car.
Overall, the 48-year-old swindled an eye-watering £456,403.47 from the dealership, which is based in Portadown, Northern Ireland.
Smyth, of Duncrun Road, Limavady, initially denied any wrongdoing but has now pleaded guilty to theft and fraud charges at Antrim Crown Court.
The court was told that the offences took place between January 5, 2012 and November 6, 2019, while Smyth was employed by the Volkswagen retailer.
The case has now been adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared, although Judge Alistair Devlin warned her that a custodial term was likely.
‘You should understand in no uncertain terms that [there] is no indication whatsoever that you won’t be met with a custodial sentence,’ he told her.
‘How you deal with them [the probation service] is entirely a matter for you but it’s very much in your own best interests to co-operate with them.’
Smyth was granted bail to ‘put her house in order’ after defence counsel Barry Gibson confirmed his client had not breached her bail at any stage.
Edwin May Ltd is part of the Roadside Motors group, which has new and used car dealerships across Northern Ireland.
The sentencing hearing will be held on July 4.
Image credit: Edwin May Volkswagen Coleraine/Google Maps
