Caught In The Act, Fact

A thieving employee has been caught on camera helping himself to over £6,000 cash from the company's safe.

Scott Smith, 45, of Windsock Close, Rotherhithe worked in Westminster and during a two-week period helped himself to the money from the office safe.

At the Old Bailey he was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months; ordered to complete 80 hours community service work and pay £2,000 compensation.

On December 4, last year Smith began stealing the cash after clocking out of work.

He stole varying amounts of cash totalling £6,855 and on the final occasion helped himself to two bottles of Belvedere Vodka, worth £250 each.

On December, 23 Smith failed to show for his shift. 

After several phone calls, Smith answered and confessed he had stolen some money from the safe.

The following day, a safe check was completed by the staff and more than £6,000 was recorded to be missing.

Smith, who was staying in Cardiff at the time, handed himself in to a police station on December 28 and was then interviewed.

The following day, he was transferred to a London police station to be questioned further by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Central West Basic Command Unit.

On December, 29 officers searched his other home address in London, where they found the two bottles of vodka, but no trace of the money.

CCTV from the workplace showed Smith stealing money from the safe 19 times, including the two bottles of vodka.