Over six days of witness testimony, the jury heard evidence that Little used project budget surpluses to fund work on his motor vehicles plus for a swimming pool and deck at his Clinton property.

The jury also heard claims of Little fraudulently using company equipment and employees' time to complete such work, with the fraud occurring from mid-2006 to March 2010.

"The way in which you flagrantly abused that trust was breathtaking," Judge Leanne Clare said to Little during the sentencing, according to the Gladstone Observer.

"The offending represents one period in your life when you were deliberately dishonest."

It was estimated that Little ended up defrauding his employer to the tune of $52,000 with more than $34,000 being labour costs.

The sentence was for three years jail time, which could be suspended after Little has served 14 months.

He also received the sentence on a special day.

"It was probably not the way Little had intended spending his 49th birthday, which happened to coincide with his last day of freedom for the next 14 months at least," the newspaper commented.