Shop worker's £55,000 fraud to fund online gambling habit
A TRUSTED shop worker who cheated his bosses out of more than £55,300 in a desperate bid to fund his huge gambling addiction has been spared prison.
He had racked up more than £78,000 on online gambling and once spent £1,800 on poker in just one night, a court heard.
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James Jennings: Admitted he had made refunds to his credit card 51 times, totalling £55,376.
James Jennings, 42, of Charles Street, Cleethorpes, admitted two offences of fraud while working as a sales assistant for Ron Ramsdens Ltd.
The first involved abusing his position to the tune of £36,661 between April 1 and December 31, 2011, and the other involved £18,715 between January 1 and March 23 last year. A previous hearing at Grimsby Crown Court heard that it was discovered that refunds totalling £18,000 to £20,000 had been given by the store in Cleethorpe Road, Grimsby.
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A customer who contacted the store about furniture that was due to be delivered was told that records showed that the order had been cancelled and a full refund of £1,057 had been given.
Inquiries were made and Jennings told the store manager: "I'm sorry. I put this on my card. It's the first time I have done it."
He admitted he was responsible for most of the £18,000 to £20,000 refunds, with payments being made to his credit card since May the previous year.
He admitted that between April 2011 and March last year, he had made refunds to his credit card 51 times, totalling £55,376.
He said he had spent more than £78,000 on online gambling.
Andrew Bailey, mitigating, told a resumed hearing before Hull Crown Court that Jennings had been on benefit after the offer of a previous job he was expecting in July was withdrawn. He had managed to save £300 from his benefit towards repaying the lost cash.
Judge Kate Buckingham told Jennings: "In breach of trust, you had received in excess of £55,000. You readily admitted your dishonest conduct to the police and how you used the funds to finance your online gambling.
"All in all, you spent £78,000 on gambling."
Jennings had used the fraudulently obtained money for his gambling, as well as taking out bank loans and using family savings, said Judge Buckingham.
"You have shown genuine remorse and shame for your dishonesty," she added.
Jennings had received gambling counselling and had joined a retraining programme at college, including working as a teaching assistant. References praised his "hard work and commitment", said Judge Buckingham.
Jennings was given a one-year suspended prison sentence, 200 hours' unpaid work and nine sessions of a probation service Chance To Change programme.
Judge Buckingham ordered him to pay over the £300 he had saved as "some gesture towards compensating your former employer".
No other compensation order was made, meaning that the company will probably either have to write off the loss or pursue a civil claim.
Comments
by Stevie63
Wednesday, January 30 2013, 10:56PM
“Do any of you idiots know the guy,or are you related to the owner's or someone who work's there?
This is not the first time that this has happened at this place,how can this not be picked up.
How can management of this place not become aware that a member of staff is doing this?
It's the same department again,how's the manager still in the job?
It must be a pretty slack place if a person,not for the first time or last can just get away with this.Is no one checking the transaction's that go through the till's?
Do any of you know what type of outfit this place is?
The photo is an old one so he is not looking smug or pleased with himself for obtaining the cash,he like many other's he has an addiction.He is sorting himself out,good on him,so leave the guy alone and think of his family.
Look in the mirror and think,,Are You Lot really as pure as the day you were born,,,,,,I think not.
Do you know if all individual's who have stolen from here have been made such a show of,I think not......Before you all think I am related to James or any member of his family I am not,nor am I a close friend.
So come on you lot grow up and get a life......I only knew of these comment's and a letter from someone in the paper yesterday the 29th from my dear old mum. and felt compelled to comment
Why are you lot so vicious and quick to judge????????”
by Lincs4ever
Thursday, January 17 2013, 10:32PM
“£55,000 for a stake of £300. That's odds of 183/1
Wouldn't mind some of that, with no comeback.
He should be made to pay back every penny. Everything he owes should be sold to put towards the cost. His TV, computer etc.
No wonder this Country is on it's knees with prats like this around.”
by williewonky
Thursday, January 17 2013, 8:15PM
“£55k theft and no prison?
Good grief.”
by sunshine2000
Thursday, January 17 2013, 7:25PM
“We need to be more tougher on these idiots”
by Teddy36
Thursday, January 17 2013, 6:24PM
“The most shocking ting here is that this man is/has been working as a teaching assistant!! What a fabulous role model he makes....not!! However did he pass a CRB with these offences on his record beats me!!”
by glencodhead
Thursday, January 17 2013, 6:22PM
“Beats me how he managed to save £300 of taxpayers money (our money) in benefits and then have the cheek to offer it back to Ramsdens.....well done all of us for paying back some of the money he robbed!! The judge ought to be given the sentence for being such a disgrace, let me see, is this how it goes;
Rob your employer
Admit your guilt and pay back approx. 0.55% of the debt with taxpayers money as a gesture!
Get yourself re-trained so you can get decent paid job
Avoid jail at all costs
Where's the queue, I would like to join it, beats working for a living”
by moonferret
Thursday, January 17 2013, 5:16PM
“So he stole £55,000 and didn't even serve any prison time. Who said "crime doesn't pay"?”
by lashbaby
Thursday, January 17 2013, 3:46PM
“He is gutted he was 7/4 to go down”
by Fittie-Fan
Thursday, January 17 2013, 2:09PM
“Well done judge!
A message to send to all who are hard up at this time
Who needs a Wonga loan with judgments like this
Move over - my turn to defraud
Has this judge ever had to work for his money?”
by Gazbobs
Thursday, January 17 2013, 1:21PM
“Sandra Elms got a 30 month custodial sentence for robbing £30K from Stallingborough Grange which is a reasonable sentence. £55K surely that should be a 55 month sentence??”