Tuxedo-wearing hotel manager jailed for £155,000 theft at family-run Carmarthen hotel

A tuxedo-wearing manager at an award-winning hotel in Carmarthen has been jailed for stealing about £154,591 from the business over three years to fund luxury shopping after taking over the family-run operation when the owner fell ill.

Ivo Lima, 39, was the general manager of the Spilman Hotel in Carmarthen town centre. Prosecutors said he was treated more like a family member than an employee, but he systematically siphoned money from the hotel to finance a more lavish lifestyle. Between February 2021 and July 2024, Lima diverted customer payments directly into his own bank account and altered the hotel’s access controls so others could not review the finances. The owner’s illness had already prompted a handover of duties, which Lima leveraged to tighten his grip on the business.

The hotel, run by the family since 1972, was disrupted as the theft occurred in a period when the accounts and banking data stopped matching visible bookings. The owner noticed in January 2024 that reported income did not align with the number of bookings, prompting scrutiny of the hotel’s payments. When attempts were made to examine the systems, passwords had been changed and emails relating to the transactions had been deleted, making the investigation more difficult.

Prosecutor Caitlyn Jones said Lima’s total theft amounted to £154,591, spanning nearly three years. When challenged, he admitted the theft and repaid £1,500, claiming the money had been spent on a car and electrical items. In an impact statement, the family said Lima had been treated as a family member and that the trust had been betrayed, almost driving the business into bankruptcy. They stressed it was particularly upsetting that the theft occurred while the family was coping with the owner’s serious health issues.

In defense, Dyfed Thomas, representing Lima, said there was no gambling debt or misuse of drugs or alcohol and that the funds were used for clothes, electrical items, and other general expenditures. The barrister described Lima as a man of previously good character who had worked hard most of his life and called what happened a "spectacular fall from grace." He stated Lima wished to apologise to the family who ran the hotel, though the barrister acknowledged the gesture would likely offer little comfort.

At Swansea Crown Court, the judge said immediate custody was appropriate for the offender, sentencing Lima to 30 months in prison. The case highlights the vulnerabilities that can accompany leadership changes in family-run businesses when owners become ill, and it underscores the importance of robust financial controls to prevent misuse of funds.