Crooked finance chief at Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa blew half a million on pizza and Amazon goodies

A CROOKED accountant who stole half a million pounds from a hotel has been jailed.

At a previous hearing at Reading Crown Court it was revealed the theft had a “catastrophic” effect on the family-owned Donnington Valley Hotel and Spa in Donnington.

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.

It was estimated that Ludewig has spent a staggering £543,782 over four years between April 2018 and December 2022.

At that previous hearing in March, 50-year-old Ludewig, of Corfe Way in Farnborough, Hampshire, admitted one count of fraud.

Claire Evans, defending, said at the time: "Ms Ludewig is of previously good character and has had a number of difficulties in her life, including cancer."

A sentencing hearing was scheduled for June - but then Ludewig announced she was contesting the sum it was said she had trousered.

Although the matter was adjourned for further inquiries to be made, the prosecution insisted the figure was correct - and they were subsequently proved right.

And so, on Friday, November 15, Judge Sarah Campbell sentenced Ludewig to four years imprisonment.

She will serve around half of that behind bars and the remainder on licence in the community.

Afterwards the investigating officer, Det Con Claire Midwinter, said: “Ludewig was a trusted member of staff and her actions have had a massive detrimental impact on the company.”