After he left, a number of irregularities were discovered prompting a probe, the court heard.
It was revealed Vasey had been carrying out six different types of fraud to steal thousands of pounds, with the exact amount disputed between various parties but finally agreed to be £75,000.
They included making unauthorised overpayments of his salary to himself, misusing petty cash, overpaying his expenses, paying himself for meetings that never took place and using the company credit card for personal purchases, the court heard.
He would conceal his actions by altering the company’s financial records and online banking statements, the court heard.
“The high value of this crime endangered the viability of the Teesdale Mercury and put at risk the livelihoods of our employees,” Vane said.
He put everyone’s jobs at “jeopardy”, Vane said, adding he “gave no thought” to his colleagues or the “historic newspaper”, which her family had been “passionate to preserve”.