Store manager blew cash in Vegas (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Store manager blew cash in Vegas

2:00pm Monday 4th February 2008 in News

SOMERFIELD'S supermarket manager Michael Wood, 33, stole almost £20,000 from his store's takings and blew the money on gambling - some of it in Las Vegas, a court heard today.

Wood took £11,000 from the till of the store in Tewkesbury, on October 27 last year and headed to a casino in Walsall, said prosecutor Lisa Hennessey.

The next day he took £8,983 from the store and jetted off to New York from Birmingham Airport. From New York he flew to the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, and lost the money over the next three weeks.

When Wood, of Orchard House, Stretton Grandison, Ledbury, returned to the UK he gave himself up to police, said Mrs Hennessey.

She said the thefts had been detected by store staff when Wood was away. CCTV was then checked and he was seen arriving at the shop on Oct 27, going to the till and taking the £11,000.

Wood had been a manager with Somerfield's for 12 years, she added.

Wood, who admitted stealing the money from Somerfield's on Oct 27 and 28 last year, had sentence deferred for six months by Judge Martin Picton - who said the case had also turned him into a gambler.

"I am taking a gamble on you by doing this," said Judge Picton. "I don't like doing that. But you have got a chance to show me you merit not being sent to custody."

David Chidgey, defending, said Wood was a gambling addict but had kept his problem a secret from everyone, including his family.

"These offences really are a waste of life after he had built up the trust of his employers over a 12 year period," he said.

"He had worked his way up from stacking shelves to becoming general manager of a store which was an important one for the company."

Because of Wood's gambling problem, said Mr Chidgey, Wood had reached the age of 33 with nothing materially to show for it.

"He has accumulated no money, no property, nothing of any description," Mr Chidgey said.

Wood now owed a lot of money to his parents, whose generosity he had abused and whom he had kept his addiction a secret from, Mr Chidgey said. He also owes money to several credit card companies.

Mr Chidgey referred the court to a long letter from Wood's parents - and he said Wood had written to Somerfield's apologising for his actions.

"I have seen bank statements which show the extent to which he was gambling," said Mr Chidgey.

"He was taking up to £2,000 a month either for on line gambling or at the bookmaker's. He was certainly spending a lot of money on gambling.

"He has since been to Gamblers Anonymous - he has lost three relationships because of his problem already."

Judge Martin Picton told Wood "You let down your employers and you let down your parents appallingly.

"The letter they have written describing how they tried to support you and how you abused that trust makes very sad reading.

"You have also let down yourself. You have made a total mess of your life through your addiction to gambling which led to this reckless behaviour in taking the money from your employers. You were bound to be discovered.

"I don't know at the moment whether you are capable of making the changes to your life that are needed or whether you are still living the lie that you have lived for many years, covering up your gambling.

"I simply don't know where you are going and what you are worth as a person."

The judge deferred sentence on Wood for six months to see if he can stay out of trouble, stop gambling, get a job and start to repay Somerfield's.

"If you can show me that there is some good in you and that the support your parents have shown you has not been wasted, I will find a way of not sentencing you to custody," said the judge.

Sentence was deferred until August 4.