Buyer for Renelec stole equipment worth thousands of pounds (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Power drills and other items sold on eBay, court told

9:04am Tuesday 10th July 2012 in News

A buyer at an electrical company has admitted he stole tens of thousands of pounds worth of equipment from his employers to sell online.

Paul Bolter is said to have taken power tools and electrical items worth about £90,000 during a period of two years and four months.

But the 40-year-old contests the amount he is said to have plundered from work saying it was only about £47,000 worth.

Bolter also admitted to asking for ‘kick backs’ from another firm to continue placing orders with them.

His colleague Mark Perry, 39, also admitted stealing from Renelec, but he said the electrical items he took were only valued at about £1,000 and not the £6,000 prosecutors say.

As a result both men will face trials issue where a judge sitting alone will decide the true values after hearing evidence. The two men admitted stealing from the Devizes-based company between the July 1, 2009, and the beginning of November last year.

They then sold what they had taken on the internet auction site eBay.

Bolter also accepted ‘seeking inducements from Colin Sawyer to continue to place orders with Templegate Electrical Supplies Ltd’ from the start of 2008 through to October 6 last year.

And Perry admitted using electrical items between June 2009 and November last year knowing they were the proceeds of criminal property.

Bolter, of Sweetbriar Road, Melksham, pleaded guilty to charges of theft and fraud. Perry, of Cheverell Close, Trowbridge, admitted theft and using criminal property.

Judge Euan Ambrose, at Swindon Crown Court, adjourned the case for a trial of issue. Neither man was in court for the hearing.

At an earlier hearing, when they entered their pleas, he warned them that all sentencing options remained open including the imposition of a custodial term.