Spar manager stole £8,000 to fund gambling habit
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A SPAR manager has narrowly avoided jail after he stole £8,000 from the shop in just one month to fund his gambling habit.
Michael Knott would sneakily take the money while cashing up and acted 'evasively' by deliberately not training a new employee so he could hide what he was doing, a court heard.
The 34 year old father, who now works as a window cleaner in Bournemouth, Dorset, was later sacked by the convenience store in Winchester, Hants.
In an interview with police, he admitted to his actions between January and February 2020 and 'gave an account relating to gambling difficulties', the court heard.
The court heard the thief had been charged with stealing £16,563.94, but Knott - who represented himself - said he had only stolen around £8,000 which was not challenged by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Richard Reynolds, prosecuting, told Winchester Crown Court that Knott avoided training a new member of staff who would have taken over the process of cashing up.
In sentencing, Mr Recorder Charles Langley said: “No doubt you didn’t want them to have that responsibility so that you could continue stealing or they couldn’t find out that you were stealing.”
Knott, who said he has now not gambled for more than a year, was handed a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months.
But he must complete 150 hours unpaid work and pay £3,600 in compensation.
