A TRUSTED sales manager who fleeced his employers when debts mounted has walked free from court.

Paul Normington stole £17,000 from building supplies company Joseph Parr Ltd, based in Stockton.

The 52-year-old also took money from customers and borrowed from friends he promised to repay.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Normington convinced people he was about to get a hefty sum from America.

In total, between September 2013 and November last year, he swindled just over £26,000.

His barrister, Duncan McReddie, said yesterday: "He is deeply sorry and he is deeply ashamed."

Judge Simon Phillips, QC, told Normington he had "come within a hair's breadth of going to prison".

He was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Phillips said: "The fact you were struggling financially is no excuse whatsoever for your offending.

"There is no evidence the monies were applied by you for high-living or excessive expenditure.

"They were applied in order to try to maintain your level of lifestyle, in particular the house you occupy, which was accruing mortgage arrears.

"You were effectively trying to live above your means by trying to hold onto that house when the reality was you were not in a position to find that home."

Twice-divorced Normington, of Burghley Drive, Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, admitted four charges of fraud.

Mr McReddie said he "has never been particularly well-organised with money" and told how he had hoped to pay back the money from his company before anyone noticed it was missing.

He said: "The debts became so onerous that he resorted to criminality to resolve them.

"Things deteriorated to the point where he was in difficulty and these acts began, as they so often do, with the intention that when things righted themselves he would start to repay and make sure there was no loss.

"The spiral of debt he got himself into was moving so quickly that that was, in fact, never likely to occur because he was chasing his tale so hard he was never going to get there."

The judge told Normington: "While you may have commenced this course of dishonesty hoping and intending to repay those sums, it became apparent to you there was no realistic prospect.

"You misled individuals, you lied to them, indicating there was money due to you from America.

"It is quite clear that now you realise the very great error of your ways."