A shamed Stretton businessman who stole nearly £90,000 from a firm has now been disqualified from his post as a director of Burton's biggest education trust.
Financial director David Moss, of Rolleston Road, appeared in court where he pleaded guilty to fraudulently taking £87,000 from Recruit 2 Suit U Midland Ltd, in Swadlincote, between May 15 and July 29, 2016.
Moss was financial director at the firm when he stole the cash.
The 59-year-old also pleaded guilty to a second charge of making a false bank statement between July 26 and 29, 2016, when he appeared at Derby Crown Court.
As a result of his conviction, Moss has now been 'disqualified with immediate effect' from his post as director on the board at The de Ferrers Trust. Bosses of the trust, which includes three secondary schools, told the Burton Mail that they are confident the trust had not been affected by Moss' criminal activities.
A spokesman said: "David was a director on the trust board of The de Ferrers Trust but since hearing of his conviction he has now been disqualified with immediate effect.
"The board of directors are confident that adequate financial controls were in place throughout David's term of office and that the trust has not been affected."
Moss is listed on the trust's website as one of the directors, where it states he is a qualified accountant with extensive financial and IT experience in industry. It said that he had trained with British Rail and had been the senior finance professional at more than one £10 million-plus turnover subsidiary business of major international companies.
It says following some short-term contracts assisting with major projects, including the £2.3 billion divestment of part of Bass Brewers, Moss was running his own accountancy practice specialising in the reporting, payroll and taxation needs of small businesses.
Moss was also a governor of a large secondary school for many years, becoming a director on its conversion to single academy trust status in January 2011, the website says. He was actively involved in the process of conversion, acting as their responsible officer. It also said he was a governor and finance officer of a local primary school.
The de Ferrers Trust includes The de Ferrers Academy, Horninglow Primary School, Lansdowne, Eton Park, The Pingle Academy and Granville Academy.
Moss has been warned by a judge that he is "inevitably facing a custodial sentence" for his crimes when he is sentenced at Derby Crown Court on April 30.
John Dunne, prosecuting, had told the court that Moss, who had no previous convictions, had siphoned off the £87,000 from the company accounts.
The court was told that the offences took place while Moss was the financial director of the Swadlincote-based firm based at Oaktree Business Park, in Cadley Hill Road.
He was initially charged with stealing £372,000 from the firm but admitted taking almost £90,000, the court was told.
Justin Ablott, for Moss, said his client had "never been before a court before" and had a sick wife.
He asked for the case to be adjourned while a medical report and a pre-sentence report were prepared.
Judge Jonathan Bennett said that it would be difficult for whoever was representing Moss to persuade a judge that anything other than custody was appropriate for Moss.
He told Moss: "You have pleaded guilty to a very serious offence because of the high value and it seems to me that custody is ultimately inevitable."
After the hearing, Gemma Taylor, owner of Recruit 2 Suit U Mids Ltd, said: "After a long wait of 18 months for this to happen I am pleased he has finally admitted his guilt.
"I am a hard-working mother-of-five who has always earned an honest living and now I want to see justice for this man who has taken this money for his own selfish gain.
"My family has suffered greatly and now I just want justice."
