Accountant’s £500,000 fraud had ‘catastrophic effect’ on Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa, court told

A DODGY accountant stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from the Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa.

The theft had a “catastrophic” effect on the family-owned business in Donnington, Reading Crown Court heard on Tuesday, March 19.

Alida Ludewig was working as a management accountant at the hotel, spa and golf club when she began using two company credit cards for personal use – mainly on Amazon orders, Just Eat, and Domino's Pizza deliveries.

Brian Reece, prosecuting, said that it was estimated that Ludewig has spent a staggering £543,782 over four years between April 2018 and December 2022.

He added: “This is a very substantial sum and this had been going for a long period of time, with catastrophic consequences for the company, as it turns out."

Fifty-year-old Ludewig, of Corfe Way in Farnborough, Hampshire, admitted one count of fraud.

Claire Evans, defending, asked for sentencing to be delayed as she said her client needed to go over her entire Amazon order history so she could prove she had not spent as much as the prosecution claimed she had.

She added: “She did make some purchases on Amazon, but not all of them and she needs to go through all the orders she made during that time period.

"Ms Ludewig is of previously good character and has had a number of difficulties in her life, including cancer."

Judge Sarah Campbell agreed to postpone the sentencing to a later date.

Ludewig was meanwhile released on unconditional bail.