Man stole from Lowestoft firm

AN employee stole 47 satellite television boxes, worth more than �6,000 and sold them on an internet auction website, a court has heard.Michael Nash, 37, was responsible for distributing the equipment to customers of the Unipart store, in Lowestoft, but put a number up for sale on the Ebay site.

AN employee stole 47 satellite television boxes, worth more than �6,000 and sold them on an internet auction website, a court has heard.

Michael Nash, 37, was responsible for distributing the equipment to customers of the Unipart store, in Lowestoft, but put a number up for sale on the Ebay site.

Lowestoft Magistrates' Court heard yesterday that an investigator for Unipart, which has a contract to distribute satellite boxes for BSkyB, discovered the equipment had been sold to the public through Ebay.

Colette Griffiths, prosecuting, said Nash, of Fletcher Way, Acle, was a principal team member for Unipart involved in distribution of equipment. He admitted his involvement when questioned and pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to a charge of theft from an employer.

Mrs Griffiths said the value of the stolen equipment was �6,256.12 and two other people had been involved; one receiving a caution for handling stolen goods.

Nash, who lost his job as a result of the theft, was made the subject of a supervision order for 12 months and ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work. He was told to pay compensation of �500 and costs of �60.

Ed Proffitt, for Nash, said his client would be unable to repay the entire value of the boxes because he was out of work and faced a delay in claiming benefits because he had been sacked.

He added: 'Out of this escapade, which he is ashamed of, he has made approximately �1,000 to �1,500. The value arrived at by the Crown Prosecution Service is what these boxes would have retailed at if they had been sold legitimately.'