A thieving delivery driver who once won £100,000 on the lottery has escaped jail after he was caught stealing trainers worth £15,000 from FootAsylum.
David Swatman, 43, from Manchester, won £100,000 on a scratchcard in 2018, and promised to use the money to follow his beloved Liverpool FC.
But, working as a delivery driver for training shoe retailer FootAsylum, he repeatedly swiped boxes of shoes he was ferrying between the company's north Wales depot to Manchester, a court heard.
READ MORE: Mum snapped and smashed partner's skull with a hammer in the middle of the street
Yesterday (Wednesday) he escaped jail after he admitted a single charge of theft covering a period between August and September 2020.
Daniel Lister, prosecuting, told Manchester Crown Court the charge covered a series of thefts when Swatman, who was employed as a delivery driver, swiped boxes of trainers from his vehicle and handed them to a third party during runs from the company's depot in Broughton, north Wales, to its base in Manchester.
The company began an investigation when it discovered on September 9, 2020, that there was a discrepancy in the number of boxes that were leaving the Broughton depot and the number arriving in Manchester.
Five boxes and two bags full of trainers never arrived and a review of CCTV revealed there had been an 'unauthorised stop' on Bury Old Road while Swatman was at the wheel when the items were transferred into another vehicle, said Mr Lister.
The company's investigation uncovered further 'unauthorised stops' on August 22 and September 2 when more boxes were handed over and placed in another vehicle.
Police arrested him and, when the defendant was interviewed, he admitted the thefts and estimated he had nicked about 22 boxes, each one containing trainers worth up to £1,000. The court heard the defendant had memorised an 'encryption lock' on the vehicles to carry out his crimes.
Swatman, now of Richmond Street in Keighley, admitted a single charge of theft covering stolen items worth £15,450.
The court was told Swatman had 22 sets of previous convictions covering 44 offences, including a drink drive offence said to have been committed shortly after the FootAsylum thefts.
Max Saffman, defending, said his client was now working part-time as a window fitter earning about £300 per week, although he hoped to be working full time soon. He pointed to his client's admission of guilt from the moment he was arrested.
The judge, His Honour Judge Field KC, expressed astonishment that it had taken more than two years to bring the case to court when the defendant had admitted his crime at the outset. He said the delay had been 'extraordinary' and meant the defendant had been living with the threat of jail throughout his wait to be sentenced.
Judge Field said: "It wasn't just one theft. It was a series of thefts that occurred as long ago as the late summer of 2020 when you were working as a delivery driver for FootAsylum.
"You used your privileged position to steal goods from your delivery vehicle for the benefit of others... It was a breach of the trust placed in you by your employers."
The judge said there had been a 'degree of sophistication' although the defendant had not acted alone. The goods had 'plainly been stolen to order'.
But Judge Field said the defendant had shown 'genuine remorse' and had made 'frank admissions as soon as you were confronted'. He said Swatman had 'taken steps to address the problems that may have led you to make the very bad decision to steal from your employer'.
The judge went on: "I have formed the strong view by what you have achieved over the last two-and-a-half years that there is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in your case."
Swatman was handed a 20 month jail sentence suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out five days of rehabilitation activity, to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £425 prosecution costs.
In 2018, it was widely reported that Swatman won £100,000 on a scratchcard and that he planned to use the money to follow his football team, Liverpool.
He said at the time: "I’ve followed Liverpool all my life but because of my job, I often have to work weekends and can’t see them play as often as I would like to. Thanks to this win, I can treat not only myself but my friends as well.
"Who knows, I could even get tickets to the Champions League final in Kiev if Liverpool make it there!"
Liverpool made it to the final but were beaten by Real Madrid.
After his sentencing on Wednesday, Swatman declined to comment to the M.E.N.
For more of today's top stories click here.
READ NEXT:
Mother of missing aristocrat Constance Marten pens emotional letter to 'darling daughter'
Lap dancing club is allowed to stay open despite claims it makes Manchester look 'seedy'
Disgusting thug boasted of being a 'wife beater' as he repeatedly strangled girlfriend
David Goodwillie LEAVES Radcliffe FC after less than 24 hours following widespread backlash
