His actions led to the firm having to stop trading, a court heard
15:07, 02 Jan 2026
A fraudster plundered more than £29,600 from a company – by using his own bank details on invoices – to fund his own "very nasty gambling addiction" and pay a corporation tax bill. Christopher Pickwell was "drowning at the time" because of his financial worries but his dishonest actions led to the company having to cease trading, Hull Crown Court heard.
Pickwell, 44, of Whitfield Road, Kirk Ella, admitted fraud, by amending bank details so that payment of £29,610 was made to him instead of a company, at Howden between April 1 and December 31, 2023. He also admitted stealing four iPads, valued at £1,362.
Molly Minter, prosecuting, said that Pickwell worked on a freelance basis for a team-building company and his role was to conduct sales and carry out events for corporate companies and clients. In June 2023, he ran an event for a customer on behalf of the company.
He invoiced the client and used the company's name and VAT number but gave his own bank details. The customer paid £21,048. After the event, the company began receiving bad reviews online, saying that it did not pay staff.
On June 26, 2023, Pickwell took payment for an event that he organised supposedly on behalf of the company but, in reality, without its knowledge and consent. He again included his own bank details but the company's name and VAT number.
"The defendant did not pay sub-contractors, who were owed £6,000," said Miss Minter. "The company owner confronted the defendant, who admitted that he had taken the money as he needed to pay HMRC after his own business folded."
Pickwell took four iPads from the company to arrange a GPS-based treasure hunt. "He was asked to return them but never gave them back," said Miss Minter. The total amount stolen was £29,610.
The company suffered a loss of reputation and this led to it being dissolved. The owner said that the incidents had "deeply upset" him and the business lost a significant amount of money. Pickwell had been a trusted employee.
Billy Torbett, mitigating, said that Pickwell offered his deepest regret and remorse to the victim of the fraud and theft – someone who had been a good friend – and he pleaded guilty at the first opportunity. "He is quite simply embarrassed and emotionally overwhelmed as to the ramification of his offending," said Mr Torbett.
"He has taken accountability and he accepts his offending throughout. Clearly, it was a high degree of trust that he was in. He has succumbed to a very nasty gambling addiction.
"It was ruining his life and is the root cause of his offending. He knows that he has got an issue about his gambling and he is trying to change that. "
Pickwell had financial problems at the time, relating to corporation tax. "He was drowning at the time, quite simply," said Mr Torbett. Pickwell was hard-working and he had held a series of jobs in the past.
He was currently employed by his local church after beginning there as a volunteer. Pickwell had a relevant previous theft conviction in May 2004, involving working for a cycling and motoring shop, where he retained a bike that he should not have done.
Judge Tahir Khan KC told Pickwell: "Over a period of time, you stole somewhere just short of £30,000 belonging to your employer. That was a serious breach of trust and you knew that, by stealing from your employer, that would have an impact – a significant impact – on your employer's business."
Pickwell was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and 250 hours' unpaid work.