General manager admits to $370K theft

File photo / NZ Herald

The former general manager of a boutique law firm has admitted stealing $370,000 but says he did not benefit from the theft.

Peter James McClintock worked at McElroys Litigation and has pleaded guilty to seven charges of accessing a computer and two of false accounting.

He appeared at the Auckland District Court today where he was due to be sentenced.

The Crown accepts that the 63-year-old did not keep all the money for himself but Crown prosecutor Rachel Reed told the court that McClintock did benefit from some of his offending.

She said the Crown had agreed reluctantly to adjourn the matter today because it would impact on the victims.

Ms Reed said there had been some amount of reparation paid to the victim.

It is understood McClintock's lawyers will argue that their client did not keep the money for himself but sent it to a friend.

Some of the money was sent to people overseas.

According to police charge sheets, McClintock is alleged to have made 52 false entries to the company's wage reports, totalling $230,000.

He also made six false entries in the company's accounts totalling $100,000.

Another charge related to a fraudulent transaction of $20,000.

McClintock also made nine payments totalling $14,566 from the McElroys' trust fund to three different accounts.

Another charge related to $7042 that he transferred from company accounts to a BNZ bank account.

McClintock also paid $2088 from company accounts to Vodafone, passing it off as legitimate company debt. Another payment of $303 used the company name Travelex to hide the transactions in the company's accounts.

McClintock will next appear at the Auckland District Court in December.