FILE PHOTO: A former manager defrauded $55,000 from the Maroochydore Officeworks store over a period of 12 months.

FILE PHOTO: A former manager defrauded $55,000 from the Maroochydore Officeworks store over a period of 12 months. Maksym Kozlenko

AN OFFICEWORKS employee who stole more than $55,000 from the store he managed will spend nine months in jail.

Robert Edward Barff, 54, was managing the Maroochydore Officeworks store until the estimated 500 acts of fraud he committed over the course of a year came to light in December 2014.

Maroochydore District Court heard Barff was a god-fearing man and strongly devoted to his family.

But Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said for nearly 12 months Barff would take advantage of situations where customers returned an item for a refund.

"He would effectively refund ... products before selling that product for a discounted price and retain the difference," Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said.

He said Barff would sometimes forge other staff members' signatures on receipts on which he had written discounted prices or request, as their manager, that they sign the receipts.

A duty manager uncovered the fraud and CCTV cameras were placed above Barff's cash resister, catching him in the act.

Solicitor Patrick Meehan said Barff had been going through a "tumultuous" time in his life.

He was offering financial help to one of his sons, who became ill and was no longer able to work and support his own family, and he was depressed.

Barff penned a five-page suicide note on December 20, 2014, the day after he was confronted by Officeworks staff and police.

"It's the best expression of his remorse at the time and it gives some insight into his state of mind," Mr Meehan said.

Barff committed the fraud, he said, because he wanted to help his son, although Mr Stark noted some of the money stolen was given to friends and some was used on day-to-day expenses.

"It was a behaviour born from necessity rather than trying to maintain a lifestyle," Mr Meehan said.

Judge David Andrews sentenced Barff to three years jail, to be suspended after nine months.