An assistant store manager at Savers stole £2,930 from the business' safe to pay off his gambling debts.
Lee Bryenton, 39, was assistant manager at the Savers store in South Road, Waterloo, when he stole £2,930 from the business' safe.
Liverpool Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday, February 1, how Bryenton was seen on CCTV putting bank notes up the sleeve of his fleece on September 27 last year.
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The next morning he contacted the manager, Michelle Mitchell, and said "he had had a breakdown”.
She went to pick him up, as she sometimes did on their way to work, and he invited her into his home and explained he had made ‘a big mistake” and told her why.
Bryenton told her: “I’ve made a big mistake and taken all the money.”
When she asked why he had done it he explained he had gambling debts with loan sharks and feared for his safety.
She went to work and he contacted her shortly afterwards to say he still had some of the money. Miss Mitchell contacted her boss who advised her to bring him in for an interview.
He handed back £1,830 and when the safe contents were checked it was found there was a £1,100 shortfall.
Andrew Page, prosecuting, said: "When interviewed he admitted taking money from the safe and gave the same reason disclosed to the store manager and said he had resigned."
Bryenton went for a voluntary police interview on October 8 and Mr Page explained to the court how he admitted he had “issues with gambling to the point he had borrowed money from individuals which he should not have done and was now in fear for his safety because he owed them money".
He saw the money as an opportunity to pay his debts off and pleaded guilty to theft from an employer.
Mr Page said Bryenton, of Hicks Road, Seaforth, "was extremely sorry and ashamed he had let people down and was remorseful".
He added: "He said he would pay every penny back from universal credit or gifts."
Tony Murphy, defending, said Bryenton had brought the matter to the attention of his boss and had been totally co-operative with police and pleaded guilty.
He said the background was a gambling addiction and he had given the £1100 “to an unsavoury third party.”
The first time he “got in a mess” because of his gambling, family and friends helped him out but this time they would not because it was not felt the right thing to do.
Mr Murphy said: “He went to a loan shark and borrowed money and did not realise that when they said they wanted the money back they wanted the money back.
"The £800 he borrowed, by day seven had risen to £1,100 and it was only going to get worse and worse if he did not pay.
“He felt his personal safety was severely compromised. He knew there would be consequences if it was not paid back.”
“Twenty three years of hard working developing a good reputation and 20 seconds to ruin it.
“He decided to help himself to the cash that night while counting it. He cannot believe how bad the decision was.”
Mr Murphy said Bryenton intends to get help for his gambling habit. He hopes to be able to go back to the store one day and apologise to his former colleagues and he wants the court to order compensation.
He told the court: “He does not think he can look people in the eye until he had paid it back. He has started working and offers £100 a month to pay the compensation…He has an overwhelming desire to pay this money back, he sees it as a personal debt because he helped himself to the money.”
District Judge James Clarke said the theft had not been sophisticated or involved planning and he has no similar previous convictions. He is remorseful and there is a strong prospect of rehabilitation.
He imposed an 18 month community order with 30 days rehabilitation activities and 150 hours unpaid work. He ordered him to pay £1,100 compensation plus £180 costs.
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