A MAN who used subterfuge to get a job with a Flintshire company went on to commit a fraud, a court heard.

After being released from a prison sentence imposed for an £86,000 fraud conviction, Michael David Stewart used a false name on a recruitment application to secure a job in the payroll department at Moneysupermarket.com in Ewloe.

Stewart, now working at Stanlow oil refinery in Ellesmere Port, then redirected £131.73 from the account of a former employee into his own bank account.

Recorder Patrick Harrington QC told Stewart he was “an idiot” who would be sent to prison if he breached the two-year community order he was imposing on him, which included undertaking 200 hours of unpaid work.

Stewart was also told to attend 20 days of a rehabilitation activity order as part of his community order and to complete a 'thinking skills' programme.

Barrister David Mainstone, prosecuting, told Mold Crown Court that after his release from prison Stewart had changed his name by deed poll from Michael David McDonough and then made an application for a job through an agency.

“He told the agency he had no unspent convictions, but he had been released from an 11-month prison sentence for fraud in January 2016,” said Mr Mainstone.

“As a payroll manager [at Moneysupermarket.com] part of his responsibilities involved processing payments using bank transfers.”

Stewart changed the PIN details of an ex-employee to his own and transferred the money.

He was caught out when a consultant visiting Moneysupermarket.com recognised him as Michael David McDonough and remembered his previous conviction for fraud.

The firm launched an investigation, but when the police were called in Stewart said he had used his work computer to arrange his own finances and had wrongly copied and pasted his own bank details.

When asked about his CV he claimed he had not updated it and he had changed his name so it would fall in line with the rest of his family.

Stewart, 34, of Pateley Close, Kirkby, Merseyside, admitted fraud by abuse of position between July 19 and July 22 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation on July 5 last year.

Defence barrister Wyn Williams said Stewart had been frank about his convictions with his current employer and was earning good reviews from a firm based at the Stanlow refinery.

“He has put his previous convictions behind him,” said Mr Williams.

But Recorder Harrington warned him: “This is not a soft option.

"You thought you would get away with this, but you have had the good sense to plead guilty.”