Brownhills Tesco worker in £7k theft is spared jail
A former warehouse worker, who stole more than £7,000 worth of items, including clothing, sweets and skin products, from the Brownhills supermarket where he worked, has avoided an immediate jail term.
Andrew Robins, of Springfields, Rushall, stole the items from Tesco over a 10-month period and intended to sell them at a car boot sale, Walsall Magistrates Court heard yesterday. Miss Pushpa Sheemar, prosecuting, told how the crime came to light after he set off security alarms.
She said when the father-of-two was leaving work on September 28 he had triggered the alarms and £309.70 worth of stolen stock was found in his rucksack.
Police seized goods worth £6,709 when they searched the 25-year-old's home several days later.
Miss Sheemar said: "Members of staff from Tesco attended the police station with a handheld barcode scanner. They confirmed the items were from Tesco."
She said Robins had worked at Tesco for seven years. He admitted one charge of theft between December 2011 and October this year.
In mitigation for Robins, the court heard that he was now "extremely sorry".
He was handed a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, ordered to carry out 180 hours' unpaid work and pay £85 costs.
Sentencing Robins, District Judge Michael Morris told him: "Latterly you had been stealing from your employer. You had been hoarding the items at home with the intention of selling them eventually."
He said it was evident that some of his colleagues at Tesco had thought well of him, but added: "You have cheated not only Tesco, but them as well. You are a thief."
Mr Morris made no order for compensation but warned Robins that Tesco may make a civil claim to recover its losses.
