Karen Chin, 45, of London, was employed by Hurford Salvi Carr (HSC) at their HQ in Britton Street, Clerkenwell, where she diverted clients' funds into multiple bank and credit card accounts she controlled.

Her former employers claim much of the money has been blown on high-living, spending sprees and holidays, including the rental of a private plane and a £35,000 family vacation to Mauritius.

Putting Chin behind bars Judge David Richardson told her: ‘You syphoned money into your own accounts. Some of it was the tenants deposits, some was the company's money. Your first reaction when caught was to cover your tracks with fraudulent emails.

‘The impact on the company has been considerable and you committed the funds to an extravagant lifestyle, luxury holidays, clothing and the like.

‘It was a gross breach of trust, which involved planning and was sophisticated and you did not comply with court orders freezing your assets.’

Prosecutor Mr David Markham told the court Chin was employed four days a week as financial controller on a £38,000 a year salary and had been with the company since 1999 until she was sacked on 25 June 2013.

Chin made a total of 304 money transfers into her own accounts between 2008 and 2013.

On 28 June 2013 the High Court froze Chin's assets, including her family home and a £50,000 cheque she wrote to her former employers bounced.

Her former employer HSC says Chin ignored two High Court warrants to appear, moved money to secret accounts and has shown no remorse.

Chin pleaded guilty to nine counts of fraud by abuse of a position of trust between 19 February 2008 and 19 February 2013 and asked for three offences under the Theft Act committed before 2008 to be taken into consideration.