Man jailed for stealing £90,000 worth of stamps
A man who ordered then stole thousands of books of stamps from the Co-op where he worked in Barnsley has been given 20 months behind bars.
A man who stole £90,000 worth of stamps from the Co-op where he worked in Barnsley has been jailed for more than year.
Andrew Swales, 39, of Woodland View, Thongsbridge, in Holmfirth, admitted theft at Sheffield Crown Court and was sentenced to 20 months.
The court heard that over a period of three years, Swales ordered and then stole thousands of books of first and second class stamps while he was manager of the store on Snape Hill Road, Darfield. Police launched an investigation in July 2013 after an internal investigation revealed large, high value orders of postage stamps were unaccounted for. Detective Constable Graeme Badcock said: “Swales stole postage stamps that he had ordered to the store, before selling them on and using the money to buy electrical goods, fund foreign holidays and gamble, all at the expense of his employer."
“This was a lifestyle beyond his means. His sentencing today is the result of a lengthy and complex investigation and I would like to thank everyone who has assisted in bringing Swales to justice, including staff at the Co-operative group. Thefts from businesses are not victimless crimes.”