A 70-year-old grandfather has been jailed for stealing more than $2 million from his employer.
The court heard Mackenzie was well respected in the cleaning industry when he took on a consultant’s role with an Underwood commercial cleaning business.
He took over daily management of the company when the owner took ill in 2013/14.
But it was when the company moved to online banking that the theft began, with Mackenzie also in charge of the bank transfers.
The court heard that over a three-year period Mackenzie transferred $2.3 million to his own business accounts, personal accounts and family trust from the company’s account.
He used 65 transactions to make the payments which remained undetected until the company received a significant tax bill.
The court heard a significant amount of the money went to Mackenzie’s now-defunct trailer business.
The business owner and her daughter have been severely financially impacted as a result of Mackenzie’s actions and it has taken significant work to get the company back on its feet, according to a victim impact statement tendered to the court.
In sentencing, Judge John Allen said Mackenzie “had a very responsible and trusted position which (he) exploited”.
He called the size of theft “breathtaking” telling Mackenzie, “You should be thoroughly ashamed of your serious dishonesty”.
The 70-year-old grandfather was sentenced to seven years’ jail.
He’ll be eligible for parole in two years.
Prior to this offending, the court heard Mackenzie had a clean criminal record.
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