Barbican Boss Receives 18 Months For Ticket Scam

The ticket boss of the world-famous Barbican Centre, who blew over £30,000 gambling online after crediting his own bank accounts in a year-long refund scam, was jailed for 18 months today (Monday).

Ex-ticket sales manager Christopher John Todd, 35, of Cavalier Court, 14 St. Mark’s Road, Teddington, Middlesex, was arrested after a member of his team anonymously tipped-off bosses.

First-time offender Todd pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court that between August 21, 2008 and September 29, last year, he dishonestly abused his position intending to make a gain, namely £33,183, by refunding tickets to his account.

He was committed to the Old Bailey for sentencing after the magistrates deemed their maximum sentencing powers of 6 months imprisonment were insufficient.

The court heard Todd (pictured) was employed as the ticket sales manager at the Barbican Centre and on September 29 last year the head of finance received information from an anonymous member of staff that he had made multiple refunds to a switch card.

It was discovered he made several refunds to two of his Nat West Bank cards totaling £33,183.

The refunds took place after the events and each refund had a different customer’s name.

Todd was investigated by the City of London Police’s Economic Crime Department.

When interviewed he said his father was severely ill and he had succumbed to a gambling addiction as a coping mechanism and was a registered member of Paddy Power.

The stolen money was only used to gamble with and was not used to purchase any items, the defendant told police.

First-time offender Todd had never been arrested in his life before and apologised to the court.

He made full admissions and admitted the amounts and gave police all the details of how the offence came about.

The court was told Todd had suffered severe depression throughout his life and had made two suicide attempts at the age of seventeen and in his mid-twenties.

His lawyer said Todd's father was dying of cancer and, in fact, died some months ago and the defendant had got into difficulties coping with that and developed an online gambling addiction, where all the proceeds of the offence went.