4 June 2008
A manager took £21,000 from a Welsh garage because he had let his personal debts, possibly created via loans, spiral out of control, a court has been told.
Bala's 35-year-old Christopher Grafton was given a suspended 12-month sentence after stealing the money from the venue in Gwynedd, reports the Daily Post.
Judge Philip Richards told Grafton that he had behaved in a "despicable" manner and that he caused a great deal of distress following the episode.
"You systematically stole money from the business which couldn't afford to suffer the losses you imposed. You couldn't complain if I sent you straight to prison," he commented.
The individual now has to pay £8, 400 in compensation and also faces possible civil action by RJ Williams and Sons of Talsarnau.
In related news, a PruProtect study recently claimed that Britons are beginning to face up to their debt levels in wake of the credit crunch and the baggage that comes with it.