MJL Group fell into administration in 2012 owing in excess of £1.1m to unsecured creditors, including a small amount to managed print services firm Balreed Digitech and mailroom equipment supplier Kane Mailing Systems.

The firm had previously found success supplying payroll and health and safety services to SMEs throughout the UK, although cashflow problems in its latter life led it to establish an invoice discounting-type relationship with a credit company.

This involved the provision of credit agreements to businesses that used MJL's services and couldn't afford to pay the full cost up front. This would instead be paid by the credit company, which would then be paid back in installments with interest.

MJL abused this relationship by creating numerous false business contracts to defraud the credit company of £750,000. MJL directors Philip Murray-Shelley, 45, and Margaret Murray Shelley, 43, used this money to fund their lavish lifestyle.

Meanwhile, the firm's employees suffered the loss of their jobs following the company's fall into administration.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Holcombe of South Wales Police's Economic Crime Unit (ECU), said: "At the same time MJL employees were being told they were being made redundant with no payment, Mrs Murray-Shelley was on a skiing holiday paid for by funds taken out of the company.

"They continued to trade as a company whilst knowing their company was in serious financial difficulty, giving no notice to their employees of its foreseen closure."

Philip and Margaret Murray-Shelley were sentenced to five years and two-and-a-half years respectively. Fellow conspirators Wayne Pulman and Andrew Wallace were sentenced to three-and-a-half years and 20 months, suspended for two years, respectively.