Man who blew £200,000 of Rock's money

Company failed after sales manager spent cash on gambling and fast cars

The man blamed for the problems of notebook vendor Rock Group blew £200,000 of the company's money on fast cars and online gambling, a court was told.

Paul Bicknell, aged 24, got the money by supplying customers from Rock stocks and appropriating the payments for his own use.

Bicknell, of Long Itchington, near Leamington, admitted nine charges of theft and one of burgling his employer's premises, according to a report in the Leamington Courier. He was jailed for three years.

The court was told he became head of sales at the company afer joining it at the age of 16.

Rock Group announced yesterday that it had gone into administration.