Factory manager stole more than £3,000 after receiving huge child maintenance bill
AN employee of a Grimsby fish merchants stole thousands of pounds from the business after receiving a crippling child maintenance bill.
Jeffery Atkin, 48 of Pershore Avenue admitted to three offences of theft between April 6 and April 24.
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Prosecuting, Laurinda Bower told at Grimsby Crown Court how Atkin had been an employee of M&J Seafood Ltd for 13 years and had recently been promoted to factory manager.
Atkin was in charge of stock movement and was one of two employees who could release stock to refrigeration storage company Cryotech.
Following the discovery of three "suspicious invoices" to an unknown customer, Atkin was suspended and at a disciplinary meeting, admitted selling over flow stock from orders he released to Cryotech for cash because he was in financial difficulty.
The court heard Atkin had profited from the sales by £3,288.
He used the money to pay household bills and the mortgage for his family home after being hit with an unexpected and large Child Support Agency bill.
Mitigating, Michael Culshaw said Atkin was ashamed of what he did.
Mr Culshaw said: "This is a man of impeccable work ethic and a thoroughly decent and honest man until he got into financial difficulty through his wife being made redundant.
Atkin was given a suspended 10 month prison sentence and 150 hours unpaid work.
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by annon, grimsby
Saturday, August 28 2010, 12:19PM
“you lot get of Jeff back, OK he made a mistake, I know him and respect him and will still back him up . the CSA has a lot to answer for my bother in law was paying for his daughter through a agreement with this ex-wife which both were happy with until the CSA stuck its unwanted nose in .he came close to doing stupid things only our families rallied round him and help him get back to normal .I know jeffs family will be doing the same good luck to him”
by glenn parry, cleethorpes
Friday, August 27 2010, 8:09PM
“the c s a seems to have destroyed your whole familys life.we are strange under severe stress and pressure and desperation we become vaunerable to actions we regret .how would you have reacted god knows .but i truly hope this episode is behind you and you all can try to rebuild your lives the best you can .”
by kevin atkin, grimsby
Friday, August 27 2010, 2:51PM
“yes my brother did a wrong thing by taking this money but i am glad that is all he took.our eldest brother got the same letter from the csa but he took his own life,,maybe all you do gooders would rather jeff had too but after all its only money.”
by j, gy
Friday, August 27 2010, 7:51AM
“neil how would you know what jeff is like? and as for saying that he the same as any thief out there you are totally wrong, if you knew him personally you would have a totally different opinion. A selfish person wouldnt bring 5 kids up that wasnt his would they?, provide for them like he has and been there for them when ever they was upset or hurt. So people shouldnt be so quick to judge him. Isnt somebody allowed to make a mistake in times of crisis? have you never done something you regret? sit and think and am sure alot of people on here can think of a few skeletons! anyways irrespective of that this should be left alone. people have had their say, jeff has paid the price, its now time for him and his family to move on and get on with their lives and forget about the past and concentrate on the future.”
by josephine white, Grimsby
Friday, August 27 2010, 6:44AM
“(apologies if this appears twice).
Isn't it time the whole 'child maintenance' concept was looked at again?
For a start, I would scrap it for all children born to young girls under the age of 16 .. and make it the responsibility of the girls parents to support their illegitimate grandchildren.
And secondly, I would scrap it for children conceived in what was *provably* a casual relationship.
In this day and age when birth control is freely available to all women, I regard it as an immoral act of crass stupidity and gross irresponsibility for any child to be conceived without the love and stated parental commitment of TWO parents. I would even perhaps go a step further and outlaw it for all children born 'out of wedlock'.”