A woman who has just given birth has admitted theft and fraud of almost £500,000 from the Walsall oil supplies firm where she worked.

Joanne Kent, aged 26, abused her position in the accounts department at Wilson UK Ltd, formerly based at Bloxwich Lane Industrial Estate, by organising £177,845 to go into her own bank account between April and June 2007.

She also admitted stealing £296,047 from the firm between July 2005 and April 2007. Kent used the cash to pay off her mortgage police confirmed today. She is also believed to have spent around £50,000 on a dream wedding and more on cars.

Kent, formerly of Cannock and now of Fraddon, St Columb, Cornwall, admitted one count of fraud relating to the cash paid into her account and one count of theft at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

She stole the money by writing cheques using the names of genuine companies that were clients of Wilson UK Ltd but adding her own bank details so the money went into her account.

She began as an office junior working her way up to become a senior finance officer in the accounts department of the Walsall firm, which has an annual UK turnover of £10 million.

During her defence, Louise Howard, asked the court for an adjournment in the case in order for both a pre-sentence report to be completed and to also allow a forensic accounting report to be completed. Judge Michael Challinor adjourned sentencing to January 5.

Speaking after the hearing DC Paul Griffiths from Walsall CID explained how the theft came to light after Kent had already left the company, while a new finance manager was making a spot check through the accounts.

Kent refused to comment after being approached after the case and no-one from Wilson UK Ltd wanted to say anything.

Kent is thought to be a mother-of-two and gave birth to her second child, a baby girl, last month. She already has a daughter, aged three. Wilson UK Ltd has since moved its accounts department to Willenhall while the sales department is at Slacky Lane, Goscote.