He has nothing to show for it: Accountant who earned a salary of R80,000 stole R50 million from employers and blew it all on gambling

Jonathan Blow, the disgraced Gqeberha accountant who stole a staggering R50 million, has been handed a 22-year prison sentence despite his claims of a chronic gambling addiction.

The commercial crimes court found Blow guilty of breaking the trust of those who considered him family, manipulating them into financial ruin, and then further betraying their confidence by stealing to fuel his destructive habit.

Blow’s actions, which left him with nothing to show for his ill-gotten gains, were deemed self-serving rather than genuinely remorseful by the court.

Magistrate Vusiwe Mnyani delivered the verdict, sentencing Blow to an effective 22 years behind bars.

The decision brought a sense of relief and closure to Peter and Paul Barnes, owners of the affected SUPERSPAR stores, who felt that justice had been served.

As Blow sat in the dock, visibly diminished from the weight of his crimes, he showed little emotion as the court detailed his theft of R40.59 million from one store and R11.47 million from another.

Despite earning a substantial monthly salary of R80,000 a month, Blow succumbed to the allure of gambling and greed, leading him down a path of deceit and betrayal.

Paul Barnes expressed a sense of closure following the sentencing, stating, “It’s over now, and we can put our lives back together. I think it is a well-deserved sentence.”

Must Read: Foreigners flee their homes after receiving alleged xenophobic threats