A “greedy” finance director who stole more than £1.3m from her employers to pay for holidays, property and cars has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Jane Jones, 45, of Cullingworth Gardens, Cullingworth, siphoned off money from Squirrel Storage and used it to “support a lifestyle that was beyond her means”.

Jones, who is also known by the surname Bellan, has a previous conviction for false accounting and theft dating from 1996, which resulted in a prison sentence and disqualification as a company director for ten years.

The mother-of-two admitted theft of £1.36m between February 2000 and October 2009 when she appeared at Leeds Crown Court today.

The court was told that between 2004 and 2009 she spent £800,000 on holidays, clothes and cars.

Four properties were also purchased, one for her family, a home for her elderly mother and two homes which she rented out.

Recorder Jonathan Sandiford condemned Jones for her greedy spending and asked: “Where has all the money gone?”

The court was told the houses were valued at £1.2m but there was only about £100,000 in equity available.

He told her she must have been aware of the consequences of her theft.

He said: “I cannot fail to conclude this was all about greed, greed for a lifestyle that you wanted to have for you and your family. The message has to go out that those who steal from their employers, in a position of trust when the sum involved is more than £1m that has to be custody of some length.”

Jones started out as a credit controller for the Leeds-based company and as the company grew – turnover increased from £2m to £12m in the period the defendant worked there – she was promoted.

She became finance director in 2006 on a salary of £90,000, but her lack of formal accountancy qualifications meant she was replaced.

The financial irregularities came to light when the new finance chief received a complaint about an unpaid invoice.

It was discovered Jones had a separate account into which company money was paid.

Prosecutor Philip Adams said: “The defendant said she had spent the money. It supported a lifestyle that was financially beyond her.”

John Diarmid, for Jones, said his client had “great ability” dealing in financial matters but had thrown it all away.

He said: “The money was lavished on assets that would benefit the family as a whole.”

She had wanted to provide the best life possible for her family, he said, and was devastated by the “disgrace” she had brought on them and her marriage had ended as a result.