Sales Assistant Funded Vodka Binges With Cash From Till

A sales assistant, caught by a sharp-eyed customer pocketing cash from the till at the landmark department store he worked at, exposed a two-year £20,000 series of thefts to fund his vodka binges.

Adam James Harris, 47, of Redwood Place, Morewood Close, Sevenoaks immediately came under suspicion and CCTV cameras caught him trousering extra sums at the store, which had employed him for fourteen years.

He pleaded guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court to stealing cash from Elys department store, Wimbledon and was placed on a twelve-month community order, which includes 150 hours community service work.

Elys investigated the previous five-years and discovered a £94,000 shortfall, but Harris maintained he took no more than £20,000 and had returned half of that sum while working at the store.

Prosecutor Miss Elizabeth Schofield told the court yesterday Harris's luck ran out on January 9, this year. “He was seen by a customer pocketing money taken out of the till.

“That was reported and he came under suspicion and his employer used CCTV to monitor him.

“He was caught red-handed on CCTV taking seventy pounds form the till on January 13 and putting it in his pocket.

“The investigation revealed he had covered his tracks by making false refunds for supposed unwanted gifts.

“Over a period of two years a large sum of money had been taken.”

Harris was arrested on January 13 and when his home was searched by police they seized £6,146 cash, which the court ordered to be confiscated.

The court heard Harris, who was on a modest £14,000 a year salary, was drinking half a bottle of vodka five nights a week.

“He took cash to pay for drink and small items such as taxi rides and nights out and would return the money the next day,” said Aneurin Brewer, defending the first-time offender.

Bachelor Harris now claims he has not touched alcohol for the last eight months.

Judge Peter Birts QC, accepting Harris was responsible for a loss of £10,000, told him: “You pleaded guilty to a serious offence of theft involving a breach of trust.

“Your employers trusted you to handle money and look after it and secretly, over two years, you were removing cash for your own purposes when you developed a drink problem.

“It really does raise an eyebrow when we have an original indictment that says ninety-four thousand pounds then reduced to twenty thousand and then an acceptance you paid back ten thousand pounds without being dicovered.

“It shows a lax system by your employer and an impoverished attitude towards repayments.

“Had your employer had a correct system you would not have been able to do this.”

Harris was ordered to pay Elys the balance of £3,854 at the rate of £75 per month.