Adviser avoids jail after stealing from own firm

A financial adviser has avoided jail after admitting to stealing money from his firm while his partner had cancer.

Jonathan Bruce, a partner at former TenetConnect appointed representative Bruce and Flint Consultancy, falsified the books to hide unofficial drawings totalling £1,750 between January 2008 and January 2009.

He was given a 10-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, and 100 hours unpaid work after he pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court, the Evening Gazette reports.

Bruce kept his business partner, Neil Flint, away from the office during his illness and used the newest member of staff at the firm to produce paper records of the cash flow and income to try and cover his tracks.

However, Flint eventually became suspicious and, after looking at the accounts, discovered Bruce's activities. Their partnership was then dissolved and Flint has since set up own business, Alexandra's Financial Management.

Bruce is no longer active, according to the Financial Services Authority register.

Judge Howard Crowson told Bruce: "You are very clearly a man who has a good side, and this seems to be one of those unfortunate cases where a genuinely honest man found himself in very difficult circumstances.

"You got to a point where accounts were falsified sometimes at your instructions and sometimes by you."