A manager who defrauded his employer out of more than £21,000 has walked free because of the “significant punishment” prison would impose on his family.

Paul Edwards used company credit cards to purchase flowers sent to his mother, Xbox games, concert tickets, car hire, a Segway scooter, hotels, supermarket shopping and to repay a debt.

The 47-year-old father even continued to use the cards for personal expenditure after he left his job as operations manager of Fox Marketing Services.

Edwards, of Park View, Ebbsfleet, admitted fraud by abuse of position.

But 18 months imprisonment was suspended for two years after a judge said: “It is appropriate to afford you one final chance.”

He added: “I reach that conclusion because of the punishment a sentence of imprisonment would impose on your family.”

Edwards will also have to complete 200 hours unpaid work and be subject to a four-month tagged curfew from 9pm to 4am.

“I reach that conclusion because of the punishment a sentence of imprisonment would impose on your family...” Judge

Maidstone Crown Court heard he was provided with credit cards for business purposes only when he started work at the print and graphics company in March 2015. He was not given immediate access to them and used the cards of other employees to make personal purchases, before being issued with his own card.

Prosecutor Ben Irwin said Edwards spent £21,616 without the company’s permission between March 2015 and November 2016.

Managing director Kevin Stanton said in a victim statement that apart from the financial cost to the company, an enormous amount of time and resources had been used. As a result, he added, he now found it difficult to trust his employees and it had affected his relationship with them.

Mr Irwin said the frauds were committed over a sustained period and there was a detrimental effect on the company. Nathaniel Wade, defending, said the offence had taken a heavy toll on Edwards’ family.

Having worked in the print industry for 23 years, he was now doing a driving job at half his previous income. Mr Wade said Edwards’ wife did not know about the offending. “It is not immediately clear how this happened,” he said. “He found it hard to explain, other than it ran away with him.

“There is a substantial mortgage on the house. There are other personal debts. The total figure is £364,000. He was in a situation where money was tight and his life was under real stress. He accepts his guilt. It has cost him everything he has.”