BT worker stole £100k from booths

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/8079446.stm

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A BT engineer, who stole more than £100,000 from phone booths across the North West, has been jailed for 14 months.

John Gleave, 55, from Eccles, admitted three charges of theft and one of money laundering on Tuesday.

Bolton Crown Court heard that Gleave was employed to open faulty cash boxes, inspect them and report faults.

Instead he opened the lock, took the cash and replaced the empty container, reporting it had been stolen.

The court heard that BT caught him out after noticing a higher than average amount of thefts, which he had reported and launched an investigation.

'Disgraceful enterprise'

Gleave was then placed under surveillance and was watched stealing money from fully-working phone booths in Bury, Blackburn and Middlewich in Cheshire.

After his arrest in May 2007 police found a coin counting machine and £615 in coins in his home.

Detective Constable Craig Wallace, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Gleave used his skill and knowledge of the workings of the telephones for a dishonest purpose.

"This was a disgraceful enterprise which was not just a breach of trust for his employers, but also to the general public, who put trust in workers such as him.

"I believe it is the highest amount that anyone has ever stolen from BT in this way and he is now being punished for it."

A proceeds of crime hearing will take place at a later date to recover the stolen money.