With times tough at the moment, it can be quite tempting to help yourself to something from the office.
In fact, nearly 40 per cent of people openly admitted to stealing from their employers in a 2018 YouGov poll – with pens and pencils the most popular.
As many as eight per cent admitted stealing food whilst some even admitted taking homeware and computer equipment.
Here in Wiltshire, it appears that our workforce is relatively honest. Recent Freedom of Information requests from StandOut CV found that there were 162 theft by employee offences in Wiltshire between 2019 and 2021, a total of 36.5 per 100,000.
It means the county has the eighth fewest number of reports in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
We’ve trawled through the archives of Swindon Magistrates’ Court to find the employees accused of stealing from their bosses in the past six months.
An East Wichel man was handed a hefty fine after he was convicted of stealing more than £4,000 at the start of the pandemic.
Nigel Morrell, who gave his address as the care of Staldon Road, had denied stealing £4,030.73 from Scottish and Southern Energy in Royal Wootton Basset on March 31, 2020, but was convicted.
The now 46-year-old was fined £750 in January, and told the pay total court costs of £675.
Meanwhile, a hair salon manager was forced by her former partner to make fraudulent cash refunds to pay back his drug debts.
The bogus refunds that Kelly Brook-Jones undertook at Sally Beauty in Hathaway Retail Park, Chippenham over eight months totalled more than £800.
She also admitted stealing £40 from the till’s cash float.
The 26-year-old, of Wyndham Crescent in Bristol, admitted six counts of fraud and one count of theft by employee. She was given a community order in March.
You can read more about that case here.
Meanwhile, a man who stole an iPhone was given a conditional discharge for 12 months.
Michael Colman, of Waters Edge in Pewsham, admitted taking the laptop, iPhone, keyboard and monitor from Blakeney Point Search and Selections Ltd in Chippenham between October 4, 2020 and November 11, 2021.
The equipment was valued at £1,637.66.
Appearing at Leeds Magistrates’ Court, the 50-year-old was made to pay compensation of that value, to be deducted from benefits.
The conditional discharge means he will face no further punishment if he does not commit another crime in the next 12 months.
A Swindon man will face a trial later this year charged with stealing hundreds of pounds of printer ink and tape.
Stuart Tanfield, of Castleton Road, Middleleaze, allegedly stole the office supplies, valued at £341.41, from West Swindon Asda on November 18, 2021.
The 40-year-old denied theft by employee and will be tried by magistrates in Swindon on October 10.
A man was found not guilty of stealing hundreds of pounds of cash from a garage in Swindon.
Robert Whitaker, from Trafalgar Road in Cirencester, had stood trial at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in February after denying stealing £800 in cash from Formula One Auto Centre in Gorse Hill.
It had been said the theft took place on February 6, 2021.
Magistrates found him not guilty in February and the charge was dismissed.
A man has denied stealing cash from a Swindon chemist.
Darren Turner has pleaded not guilty to three counts of theft by employee, relating to allegations that he stole cash of an unknown value from Boots in Swindon.
The 33-year-old is alleged to have committed the thefts on three dates in 2020: November 28, December 3, and December 18.
He will face summary trial on July 22 in Swindon.
UPDATE 13/1/23: Mr Turner was found not guilty of three counts of theft by employee at a trial on December 22, 2022. Court registers show that there was "no case to answer".
An Amazon worker was caught red-handed stealing thousands of pounds of watches and phones.
Iulian Gonceariuc stole almost £8,000 of high-value items whilst working at Symmetry Park.
He admitted theft by an employee and was told to do 140 hours of unpaid work.
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