A PR executive working for the makers of Xbox game Call Of Duty siphoned off £18,963 to pay for her engagement party, hen party and designer shopping sprees.
Kathryn Kirton, 35, was head of PR at Activision when she got carried away with the 'glamorous and luxurious' world of public relations, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.
She was in charge of the budget for a major film premiere-style launch of the game, but instead siphoned off thousands of pounds.
She spent £9,437 at designer clothes store Reiss on one of three shopping trips along with another £2,000 on a luxury hotel break for her then fiance Lee Kirton.
Kathryn Kirton, pictured at Blackfriars Court today, was head of PR at Activision when she allegedly siphoned the money from the company she worked for after being 'seduced' by the glamour of the world she worked in
Co-defendant Jamie Kaye, also pictured today, made purchases on his company credit card and even paid for a family holiday in Florida
Along with Kirton, PR consultant Jamie Kaye, was ‘corrupted by the world he worked in,’ helped her make the dodgy purchases using his company credit card as well as helping himself to a £3,500 family holiday to Florida.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard that Kirton, of Wandsworth, south London, had been in charge of the budget for the major ‘film premiere’ style launch of Call Of Duty: Black Ops but got carried away by the 'glamorous and luxurious' world of public relations.
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Kirton admitted stealing a total of £18,963 from company Activision while co-defendant Kaye admitted taking a total of £5,000. But in sentencing today, Judge John Hillen spared them both jail and said the case reflected the temptations on offer in the world of PR.
He said: ‘You were in a position of considerable responsibility.
‘You bought a large quantity of designer clothing. You spent time in luxury accommodation and you funded your engagement party through dishonest means.
‘There was repeat dishonesty over a period of months. There is no doubt your wickedness deserves a severe sentence.’
‘In the world of PR you are surrounded by luxury items. That is reality for people working in that industry.
Charged to the company credit card: Kirton took her then finance Lee Kirton for a £2,000 two-night stay to luxury hotel Babington House (pictured) with palatial grounds in the Somerset countryside
‘What is surprising is that cases like this are happening more and more often in your industry. But this is not the place to explore the PR industry.’
The court heard how Kirton paid for a group of friends to stay overnight for her 'hen-do' at the exclusive Townhouse Hotel in central London - part of the Soho House group of venues popular with celebrities - where she racked up a bill of more than £1,000 and charged it back to her company.
In September 2010 she took her then finance Mr Kirton on a romantic £2,000 two-night stay to luxury hotel Babington House with palatial grounds in the Somerset countryside.
Kirton threw a £1,500 engagement party at exclusive central London venue Cafe de Paris (pictured), to which she invited her boss, before invoicing the firm for it
Kirton was in charge of the budget for the 'film premiere' style launch of Xbox game Call Of Duty: Black Ops (right) but got 'carried away'
Kirton even threw a £1,500 engagement party at exclusive central London venue Cafe de Paris, to which she invited her boss, before invoicing the firm for it. She also splurged thousands of pounds on clothes on three shopping sprees at Reiss.
Sarah Elliott, defending, said Kirton got ‘carried away’ by the lifestyle and had ‘moments of madness’ which she is now paying the price for.
The court heard how Kirton made the fraudulent payments by getting Kaye, a consultant at Frank PR who she was employing to help with the video game launch, to pay for the dodgy purchases on his company credit card. The ‘highly respected’ PR boss then authorised invoices that allowed Kaye to charge the money back to Activision.
Kevin Dent, prosecuting, told the court: 'There were occasions when Mrs Kirton stayed in expensive accommodation at the expense of her employers.
'On one occasion the defendant went to the Reiss store where Mrs Kirton bought a large quantity of designer items for herself and her then finance Lee Kirton. On another occasion £5,506 worth of clothing was bought using the credit card of Frank PR. When it was billed back it was described as being clothing for a specialist magazine shoot, something connected with the Modern Warfare 2 launch.
'Motivated by your own greed': Kirton spent £9,437 in one of three shopping sprees at designer clothes store Reiss before it was billed to Activision by co-defendant Jamie Kaye
Kirton's marriage broke down after the criminal investigation began - and she also had her baby two months prematurely. She has been sentenced to 18 months in prison
'The clothes purchased have been looked at and they were nothing to do with Modern Warfare or any such game.'
Kirton also spent £9,437 on clothes on a third Reiss shopping spree in October 2010.
Mr Dent said: 'It seems that Mrs Kirton arrived by car and in effect loaded up her car with clothes that had been purchased.'
Judge Hillen told Kirton that she had abused her ‘considerable responsibility’ to siphon off the cash but he accepted that since the fraud her circumstances have changed considerably.
Kirton's marriage has broken down and she had given birth to her two-year-old son prematurely because of the strain of the investigation.
Judge Hillen spared her jail because of the ‘devastating effect’ it would have on her young son. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He said: 'I would have insisted that began with immediate effect if it wasn't for the devastating effect it would have on your child.
Kaye, 36, from Enfield, stole six iPads from his firm for himself and his family and ‘decided to take a family holiday to Florida and sought to charge that holiday to Frank PR as a legitimate travel expense’, charging his company nearly £3,500 the court heard.
Their scam was uncovered when Kirton's company became alarmed at the suspicious payments and investigators discovered the fraud in February 2011.
Judge Hillen said: ‘What you did, each of you, was to overstep the boundaries of what was permissible and what was not.
‘That overstepping of the boundary was motivated by your own greed.
‘What you did eats at the heart of commerce but that did not deter you or others.’
In sentencing Kaye, Judge Hillen said: ‘Mr Kaye you have been corrupted by the world you worked in and were willingly drawn in by your co-defendant.
‘This places your marriage in jeopardy, as well as your character and future employment prospects.’
Kaye was given a nine month sentence, suspended for 12 months. He was also ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work. Both pleaded guilty to one count of fraud.