A Kent County Council finance officer managed to steal more than £257,000 over almost five years... much of it on “buying friendship”, a court heard.

Pretending he had inherited wealth, Carl Wall bought affection by sending friends on luxury holidays and lashing out on expensive cars and concert tickets.

The 31-year-old, of Chetney View, Iwade, was jailed for two years after admitting fraud by abuse of position between January 2008 and October last year.

Judge Martin Joy told him: “You were in a considerable position of trust - so much so that at no stage during the period these frauds were committed did anybody consider it was appropriate to challenge your transfers or conduct of the account.

“In reality, very nearly £5,000 every month was being channelled out of KCC and into your account and being transferred to others.”

Wall was said by his lawyer to have struggled with his sexuality and to be of “relatively low intelligence”, yet he held down his job as a finance officer for KCC’s adult education centre in College Road, Sittingbourne.

Earning £18,500 a year, he transferred cash from the KCC Key Training Services account, which paid bursaries and travel expenses to those enrolled on courses at the adult education centre, to his own bank account.

Prosecutor Tristan Chaize told Maidstone Crown Court that the way Wall took the money was “really quite simple”, adding: “He presented a figure and it was accepted on trust.”

He was only rumbled when his bank became suspicious about KCC transfers being made into his account.

“He admitted being solely responsible for taking the money from the account and transferring it into his own account and spending it on lifestyle and cars,” said Mr Chaize.

“He was extremely generous with KCC’s money, buying people holidays, giving them free loans, buying them items and going on holiday himself and buying expensive concert tickets” - prosecutor Tristan Chaize

“He said he was expecting to be caught following the enquiry from his bank. He said he had a five-year bankruptcy which left him little to live on.

“He said he decided to stop stealing after a New York trip in 2012 but stole money for a Mexico trip. The reason for this is he appeared to be buying friendships.”

Mr Chaize said seven other people received money belonging to KCC. Wall told one his mother was a retired surgeon who had moved from Sittingbourne to Australia.

He claimed he had inherited wealth from his grandmother, including a £450,000 house, and worked just to have something to do.

“He was extremely generous with KCC’s money, buying people holidays, giving them free loans, buying them items and going on holiday himself and buying expensive concert tickets,” said Mr Chaize.

“That is effectively where the money went. He has spent nearly all of it. We accept most of the money has gone and is not recoverable.”

Those who were given cash were innocent but one man who worked for KCC was so embarrassed he resigned.