Bookkeeper spent big on luxuries

A bookkeeper who stole more than $890,000 from her employers and spent some of it on family holidays, her mother's gambling debts and luxury goods - including a $49,000 handbag - claimed she had lost respect for the company managers. For almost five years, Duvelle Jeffrey, 31, drained the Comunicom Group and its six subsidiary companies of money, starting with $83,000 in 2005 and escalating to $300,000 in 2009. The County Court yesterday heard Jeffrey told police that ''somewhere along the line I realised that they [the company managers] were dodgy as hell and the amount of dodgy things that they asked me to do for them … and I guess I lost respect for them''. Advertisement: Story continues below Prosecutor Amina Bhai told Judge Jane Patrick that Jeffrey, who made unauthorised transfers into three accounts, started stealing because her family needed money ''and then once it started I just couldn't stop''. Ms Bhai said Jeffrey, a Victorian mother of two, admitted: ''I've bought stuff, taken my family on holidays. ''I've helped my parents as well as my sisters and my friends and my cousins. It went towards paying for the nanny, as well as handbags, shoes.'' When police raided her Doncaster home, they found 48 luxury handbags, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton and a $49,000 Hermes brand - and scarves, shoes, perfume and jewellery valued at more than $100,000. Ms Bhai said Jeffrey was responsible for the companies' payment accounts and had transferred money into her accounts or a joint account with her husband by recording ''phantom'' and incorrect payments or duplicating legitimate payments. She said one company director who asked several times about a lack of money in the accounts, accepted her explanation before a Comunicom Group director discovered Jeffrey's illegal transfers. Six victims of her crimes presented impact statements to Judge Patrick after Jeffrey, now of Point Cook, pleaded guilty to seven charges of theft. Defence barrister Greg Barns said Jeffrey, who has repaid $219,000 after selling the family home, had reached ''rock bottom'' but told police she was relieved the ''nightmare is over''. Mr Barns said his client underwent a difficult upbringing in Singapore with an abusive mother whose $170,000 gambling debts Jeffrey later foolishly helped pay with some stolen money. Judge Patrick adjourned the case until next month when a psychiatrist will testify whether Jeffrey's mental health issues were linked to her offending.