Gambling addict jailed for ten months after manipulating racing results
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Bentham would back favourites and tweak the data if they did not win
A gambling addict from East Yorkshire has been jailed for ten months after committing fraud by changing racing results during his time working for the Press Association - deception described as "quite frankly staggering" by a judge.
Jack Bentham, from Market Weighton near Beverley, joined the organisation – now known as PA Media – in 2018 and suspicions were soon raised by a bookmaker about bets placed in the local area.
Bentham's offending began on his first unsupervised day at the company's Howden offices in East Yorkshire, Hull Crown Court heard, as the 24-year-old would back favourites and if they did not win he would manipulate data to make them the winner.
As well as enriching himself, the changes meant other gamblers were paid out on incorrect winners and those who picked the actual winner lost out.
Bentham made about £15,000 from the bets, prosecutor Cathrine Kioko-Gilligan said, while the loss to the bookmaker was in the region of £10,000, although Bentham ploughed any profit back into betting.
Stephen Robinson, for the defence, said the father of one, who lives with his parents, had sought to change his ways, including taking self-exclusion measures from betting shops and online accounts.
"Sadly from the age of 18, if not slightly younger, he became involved in gambling that swiftly led to an addiction," said Robinson, who added Bentham was left with "nasty scarring" from an assault and had hoped to raise money for plastic surgery.
"He admitted the offence in interview and made full and frank admissions and expressions of regret."
Now working as a designer and in line for promotion, Bentham would have been in a position to pay compensation, but the nature of the offence meant an immediate custodial sentence was necessary, recorder Megan Rhys outlined, saying: "This was a serious breach of trust.
"The level of fraud committed over such a short period of time was quite frankly staggering and it started on the very first day your supervision ended."
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