I was his best man ..as he stole £186k from my company

The two brother directors running the business were left devastated by David Mills’s dishonesty, particularly as one of them was his best friend and had been best man at his wedding.

Richard Darwin was also godfather to Mills’s daughter and had let him live in his home for weeks after his first marriage broke down.

The brothers employed 14 workers and two office staff, including Mills and after the theft came to light they had sleepless nights about how the building and groundworking company would survive.

Gambling addict Mills repeatedly wiped away tears during his sentencing hearing and jailing him for 32 months Judge David Aubrey, QC, said: “You sit in the dock with your head bowed in shame.

“It is bowed in embarrassment and your head is bowed in disbelief at the enormity of the you did.”

He said he had repaid Richard Darwin’s friendship “by systematically stealing from him and his brother and you weaved an intricate, dishonest web.”

Mills admitted stealing £186,815 between October 14 2013 and September 23 last year.

“It was almost day by day, drip by drip,” said Judge Aubrey. “The impact your dishonest dealings have had upon this company is almost immeasurable and incalculable.”

He pointed out that the case “illustrates the demons” caused by the acute gambling addiction he had had for many years: “As you now know the consequences of what you have done must now lead to prison.”

Frank Dillon, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Mills, now of St Anthony’s Place, Blackpool, began working for Darwin Contractors Ltd of Standish, near Wigan, in 2010 on a part-time basis. He became a full-time employee as office/finance manager which involved him dealing with suppliers’ invoices. By 2012 his marriage had broken down and he re-married with Mr Darwin as his best man, said Mr Dillon.

But last year he was again having marital problems, turned to drink and began arriving late for work. His change in behaviour concerned the directors.

Last September he went to a music concert in Manchester with the other company director, Christoper Darwin, during which he hinted how easy it was to “hide things on the computer” and said he had a large sum of money in his bank account.

This information concerned the brothers and Mills was suspended from his job. Subsequent internal investigations revealed that he had been diverting funds into his own account.

Mr Dillon said: “He said he could not stop himself gambling and hated himself for what he had done, though had not realised how large the sum was. He said he thought nothing of placing £1,000 on the outcome of a single football match.”

Mills added he had also spent money on cocaine and apologised to the victims.

In a victim impact statement Richard Darwin said they had been best friends for 13 years and he had always been there for him.

“When he was struggling he knew he could speak to me about anything which is why I find it difficult to understand him living a lie,” he stated.

Mr Darwin said he found it particularly “disgusting” that Mills had transferred £922 from the company to his bank account on Mr Darwin’s birthday and then gone out to celebrate with him. He had also transferred funds while sitting just two metres from him in the office.

Richard Archer, defending, said Mills had had a difficult childhood because of his mother being violent to him and his father and they left her when he was 15.

His childhood experiences had “blighted his life”, he said.