Kirsty Payne, a 44-year-old chartered accountant, has been sentenced to one year and six months in prison for stealing more than £40,000 from her employer, Marshall Fleet Solutions, to pay for a luxury ski trip in the French Alps. The offense also violated a suspended sentence she had received for a similar prior fraud.
Peterborough Crown Court heard that in February 2025, Payne, who earned approximately £80,000 annually, processed a payment of £400,410 to various suppliers, which was £40,383 more than the actual amount due. She then transferred this excess sum into a family member's account. Payne later admitted to police that the stolen money had been spent on the ski holiday.
Evidence of the trip appeared on Payne's Facebook page, with photos posted in March 2025, shortly after the fraud occurred, showing her in an Alpine setting. Additional photos depicted her on a chairlift and enjoying other holidays, including trips to Venice.
Payne pleaded guilty to one count of fraud by false representation at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court in July 2026. The court combined a ten-month sentence for the new fraud offense with the remainder of her suspended sentence. Her actions were compounded by the fact that she was already under a suspended sentence for a previous fraud offense.
During a wellbeing check with her employer in April 2025, Payne immediately confessed to taking the money and resigned. Initially, she claimed the funds were for a family member's medical treatment and that the account was depleted. However, in a police interview, she admitted the money was used for the ski trip, describing the decision as 'spur of the moment.' She attributed her actions to financial difficulties, despite her high salary, and cited struggles with her mental health, exacerbated by a family member's terminal illness.
Detective Constable Valentin Radulescu of Cambridgeshire Police commented on the case, stating that Payne gave little consideration to the impact of her actions and that her repeat offense was viewed negatively by the courts. He expressed hope that her time in prison would lead to reflection and serve as a warning to others.
This incident is not Payne's only brush with financial misconduct. In February 2025, she was disqualified from acting as a company director for 11 years following an investigation into her conduct at Media Matters (Peterborough) Limited. As finance director, she raised 30 false invoices totaling £327,031 between June and August 2022. The company was later liquidated in 2023, with significant debts owed to HMRC and other creditors. Payne was declared bankrupt in August 2024.
