Shop manager stole from till using CCTV blind spots

Mohammed Nadeem Khan was caught by his boss and close friend when he reviewed CCTV footage at the Best-one shop in Castleford after finding discrepancies in the takings.

Prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, Alex Menary said 35-year-old Khan had worked at the Airedale Road shop between August 2018 and October 2019.

He was a long-time friend of the owner and had worked for him previously.

The court heard how Khan was taught how to cash up and log the takings and had worked his way up to be manager.

In May 2019 the owner noticed that takings were down and the balance sheets were not adding up.

He reviewed the CCTV and noticed that Khan, after cashing up, was taking an unusual detour through the kitchen where there was a camera blind spot.

One one occasion, he spotted Khan with two amounts of cash in his hand entering the kitchen, but only one was banked.

It was only after Khan, of Burdale place, Bradford, took his family on a five-star holiday to Turkey did the owner notice that the takings balanced again.

The police were eventually called but Khan denied taking the money.

He was due to stand trial for a single charge of theft of more than £41,000 from the shop.

However, he later admitted to taking £1,553, which was accepted by the Crown.

He has no previous convictions and has since got a job as a delivery driver.

Mr Menary said the owner had been badly hurt by his friend's betrayal and had said he was struggling to trust anyone working in his shop.

Mitigating for Khan, Victoria Smith-Swain said: "He has lost his good character, and has brought personal shame on himself and his family.

"You who know him well speak highly of him. It's wholly out of character.

"He has stayed out of trouble since this offence. He has learned a salutary lesson from these court proceedings."

However, no details were given as to why he stole the money.

Recorder Ashley Serr told him: "It was a serious breach of trust, there was an element of sophistication and clearly a great deal of trust was placed on you."

He jailed him for nine months, suspended for 18 months, gave him 120 hours of unpaid work and ordered him to pay £1,553 compensation.