by Julia Roberts

A private health boss who stole more than £117,000 from company funds while driving a BMW with personalised plates and holidaying in Australia has been jailed for 27 months.

Simon Parker was a director and company accountant of The Spencer Wing, a privately-owned subsidiary of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Maidstone Crown Court heard he began stealing from his employers when he fell into personal financial difficulties, including the doubling of his mortgage repayments.

He resorted to paying money into his own Halifax bank account under the guise of legitimate payments to consultants.

Parker, who has a previous conviction for false accounting in 1997 in relation to claiming £7,000 in income support, admitted theft by employee of £117,564 between September 2006 and January 2011.

Prosecutor Martin Yale said despite the money being stolen from a private health company, the NHS would be the overall losers.

Jailing the 52-year-old from Beltinge Road, Herne Bay, Judge Charles Macdonald QC said he had been motivated by greed after living "chronically" beyond his means.

The court heard Parker began working for The Spencer Wing, which has facilities in Margate and Ashford, in November 2005.

The theft was discovered when the chief executive queried Parker's expenses claims, which included overpayments and money for car repairs.

However, Mr Yale said the irregularities in his expense forms were just "the tip of the iceberg" and amounted to less than £2,000.

"He was making payments from The Spencer Wing to his own bank account in the guise of payments to consultants or consultancy companies," he added.

Mr Yale added that The Spencer Wing effectively lost twice as genuine payments would be made to the consultants about a month later.

"By virtue of his position and being responsible for the accounts he was able to do this undetected."

A proceeds of crime hearing is expected to be held at a later date.