Home jail for taking fashion firms' $370,000

The former accountant for two New Zealand fashion companies has been sentenced to 12 months of home detention for siphoning off more than $370,000 of the companies' money.

The woman, who has permanent name suppression, procured $377,164 by repeatedly falsifying details in the companies' accounting systems during her five-year employment.

In the Auckland District Court yesterday, the woman was sentenced to 12 months' home detention subject to approval of her address.

The court heard how the woman was in charge of the banking and asset control, and had the single signing authority for the two companies.

The offending began less than two months into her employment and ended three days before she resigned.

The companies' names are permanently suppressed.

Her lawyer, Paul Cox, said she had shown significant remorse.

"She immediately admitted her guilt when the offending was uncovered and began paying the reparation straight away," he said.

The woman sold her family home to help pay the reparation, he said.

Judge Grant Fraser accepted the woman was remorseful but said it didn't excuse the seriousness of the offending.

"You were in a position of trust and authority. The victims of your offending have described having total trust in you."