A gambler with £35,000 debts embezzled more than £9,000 from his employer – and lost the lot at the bookies.
Thomas Crosbie then walked to Galashiels police station and confessed.
At Selkirk Sheriff Court on Monday, Crosbie, 29, of Dingleton Cottages, Melrose, was given a 12-month community payback order and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He admitted embezzling £9,580 while employed as assistant manager at Aldi in Galashiels between December 30, 2012, and January 15, 2013.
Having already repaid £2,300, he was told to cough up the remainder via a compensation order.
At a previous hearing, prosecutor Tessa Bradley said Crosbie had worked a shift on December 30 and was designated to cash up.
She told the court: “He offered to work the following day, as they were short-staffed, and was again designated to cash up.”
The manager returned to work on January 10 and found that the takings had not been collected as usual, later discovering that the accused had gone home with the safe key.
When Crosbie met the manager in the street, he handed him the store keys and said “sorry” – although the manager didn’t know why he was apologising.
During police interview, he said he had stolen about £9,000 from his workplace. He said he lost the first lot of money – £4,590 at Ladbrokes, and the second sum of £4,990 at William Hill.
Ross Dow, defending, said his client walked straight from the bookmakers to the police station, adding: “He took about £4,500 the first time and lost it, and was desperately trying to win it back to repay the money, and that led to the second offence.” .
The lawyer said Crosbie was currently receiving help in tackling his gambling problem.
“He is said to have gambling debts of £35,000,” observed Sheriff Kevin Drummond.