Darren Carvill, 38, from Maidstone, Kent, admitted 18 fraud charges

A accountant who claimed he was bullied at work decided he would 'go out with a bang' by spending £170,000 of his employers money on a weekend of cocaine and prostitutes.

Accounts worker Darren Carvill stole a total of £260,000 from the car servicing chain Mr Clutch, which he squandered on drug-fuelled sex romps with high class escorts.

The awkward 38-year-old admitted almost bankrupting Mr Clutch by stealing a fortune, because he wanted a 'weekend of madness.'

The head office worker was jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting 18 fraud charges.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Carvill, of Maidstone, Kent, filed bogus payments to himself after claiming he was bullied at work.

The fraudster said he suffered from low self-esteem and became addicted to a night-life of high-class escort parties being surrounded by 'glamorous' people and drugs, which were believed to be cocaine.

A source told The Sun Carvill attended the Platinum Lace club in London's West End

Carvill's barrister told the court his client had been bullied for most of his life and he spiralled out of control

A sourced told The Sun Carvill attended a club in London called Platinum Lace.

The source said Carvill also went into a room at another club, 'with three escorts, [where] they drank champagne and used cocaine,' adding: 'By the end of the night he had nine or ten escorts in with him.'

Carvill claimed that when he realised he would be caught he wanted to 'go out with a bang' - so spent tens of thousands in just one weekend, partying with prostitutes and drugs.

He revealed he did it because he was suffering from low self-esteem as his barrister James Ross told the court: 'He has had a very unhappy life. For most of his life he has been bullied.

'He has suffered from very low self-esteem and social awkwardness. He says he was a good employee and worked long hours and did good work.

'He says his bosses had shown them nothing but kindness. But other than the owners, there was at least one person who subjected him to ridicule and caused a downward spiral.'

Mr Ross added that Carvill was increasingly unhappy at work and he became more and more addicted to his nightlife, involving an escort agency with sex and drugs and things of that nature.

He said Carvill enjoyed being surrounded by 'glamorous' people and he became more and more addicted to high class escort parties.

Carvill's fraud almost brought the Mr Clutch company - with its numerous franchises - to its knees.

The crooked worker transferred a total of £262,000 from multiple franchises which he disguised as payments to genuine suppliers and traders.

Carvill's barrister said his increasing unhappiness had led to more nightlife

He said initially he planned to repay the money that he was using to deal with his 'sham and unhappy life'.

Mr Ross added: 'He was thinking the money would be paid back but it was deluded thinking that he was merely borrowing the money.'

Sentencing Judge Philip St John-Stevens said Carvill had 'pushed the self-destruct' button but accepted his remorse was genuine.

Earlier prosecutor Bridget Todd told how the fraud left some employees went without pay for five months.

Director Alfred Abdulla said how the company had problems with its VAT and pensions as a result and was 'close to going bankrupt' and face 'many years' repaying money borrowed to pay its bills.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Abdulla said: 'Because of what he did I could not pay two of my suppliers for two months.

'This caused a problem with HMRC and VAT returns were not paid on time.'

He said the company was reported to the Pensions Regulator and his employees 'had no pay for five months because of the defendant's actions.'

Mr Abdulla said Carvill had been regarded 'as a respected and trusted employee' during the four years he worked for the company.

Company bosses also revealed they had to borrow money from family members to avoid going bankrupt.

It was discovered in August that numerous transactions had been made into a bank account for Euro Car Parts, which is a genuine supplier, but this account was not linked to them.

Mr Ross said that initially Carvill stole £40,000 but then repaid £36,500.

By October 2018 he took another £60,000 hoping it could be repaid 'but it was clearly deluded thinking', he added.

Then in August last year, the accounts worker took £72,000, followed by £40,000, £10,000, another £10,000 and £12,000.

Carvill nearly brought the company he worked for to its knees with the money he stole

The court heard the defendant, who paid wages and bills for the company, had previous convictions for ripping off a previous employer.

In 2008 he was given a suspended year jail sentence at Maidstone Crown Court for embezzling a travel company out of money.

Carvill now faces a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act to try to recover the missing cash.