A GREEDY mother-of-one has been jailed for 18 months after stealing more than £60,000 from her dying boss so she could live a life of luxury.

Mandy Mills, 34, of Hoyle Street, Accrington, had been fiddling the accounts at UK Maintenance in Huncoat for two years.

Her cancer-stricken boss Ken Harrison, who is currently undergoing treatment, said he was pleased with the sentence imposed on the accounts clerk, but believed his health had deteriorated as a result of her dishonesty.

He told the Observer: "It’s most upsetting. You trust the girl and she does this to you. It’s awful.

"She got what she deserved and I am happy with the result."

He added: "Although we are the victims in this terrible act of betrayal of trust, we feel Mandy’s daughter has also been a victim of this very selfish act.

"Our thoughts are with her also at this time, as families should be together particularly at this time of year."

Mills, who was partly rumbled by her ex-husband, had been transferring money from the business account into her own and submitting false expense claim forms and using the company credit card.

The defendant, who has no previous convictions, admitted eight charges of theft, two of fraud and asked for 37 offences to be taken into consideration when she appeared at Burnley Crown Court.

The theft had left the staff at the company, based on the Huncoat Industrial Estate, without cash at Christmas 2005.

But Mr Harrison, who is terminally ill, personally took money to their homes leaving himself hard-up during the festive season.

The court heard that Mills claimed to be in debt after the breakdown of her marriage but frittered away the stolen cash, treating herself to laminate flooring, a barbecue set, reclining chairs and hotel breaks.

Mr Harrison, 63, who lives in Bacup, has been battling with leukaemia for seven years and said Mills only needed to have asked for help and he would have given it.

He told the Observer that if she had apologised for breaching his trust, he wouldn’t have taken the matter any further.

Mercedah Jabbari, prosecuting, said that Mills transferred some money into her own account while her boss was at the funerals of his mother and mother-in-law and while he and his daughter were in hospital receiving treatment.

An order was made during a civil hearing that Mills should pay back the £60,000 she had stolen.

The thefts came to light after a staff’s wages were paid into Mills’ personal account and her ex-husband contacted the firm.

Other irregularities were then discovered.

Hugh Barton, defending, said that Mills’ 13-year marriage ended after her husband started seeing someone else and this had left her extremely distressed.

Her 14-year-old daughter also suffers with severe diabetes.

The barrister added: "She almost became dependent on the drip-feed of unlawfully obtained stolen money."