Lottery Ticket Thief Given 18 Days to Repay Nearly £10k or Face Jail
Trusted Worker Caught Stealing Thousands in Lottery Tickets
A convenience store worker who swiped close to £10,000 worth of lottery tickets from his employer has been given just 18 days to pay up or face jail. David Tooth, 33, printed thousands of Camelot tickets for himself without paying while working at Blackwell Stores and Post Office in Darlington between 2018 and 2019.
Boss Trusted Him — Until the Money Disappeared
Teesside Crown Court heard new owners Marie and Douglas Alderson took over the shop in 2015. Tooth was a “trusted key-holder,” Marie said. But when financial records didn’t add up, an audit in January 2020 revealed a whopping £49,000 missing from the business.
“I trusted and respected Mr Tooth to such a level that I trusted him to assist in the investigations,” said Mrs Alderson. “I can see now that he was worried doing this.”
Theft Admission and Sob Story
Once confronted, Tooth admitted the theft right away. Prosecutor Jon Harley revealed Tooth pleaded guilty to one count of theft. This was his first offence. After being fired, Tooth got a new job and has been saving to repay £9,839.50 to his ex-boss.
Defender Jane Waugh claimed the theft was a form of “self-harm” triggered by a 2018 armed robbery at the shop. Tooth was held at gunpoint and dragged to a back room. Waugh suggested his offending was “anger displacement” after the traumatic event.
“Within weeks of him being a victim of an armed robbery, he started to offend at the same place. He’s deserving of sympathy for that certainly, but I don’t see how this has made him a thief?” Judge Timothy Stead questioned.
Judge Offers Chance to Avoid Jail — But Time Is Running Out
Tooth’s defence highlighted he lives with his parents and had the money in his bank to repay. Judge Stead said sentencing would wait until December 19, giving Tooth a chance to cough up the cash.
“You’ve promised to pay back the money you stole. If you do that and don’t commit further offences, then you are not going to lose your liberty,” the judge warned.
Tooth was also ordered to pay £425 in court costs. Fail to pay in 18 days, and it’s jail time.
