UK:COPIER REPAIRMAN STEALS 230 TONER CTGS

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Photocopier fixer stole 230 toner cartridges
A PHOTOCOPY maintenance man who stole office supplies worth £32,000 from work has been spared jail.
Dad-of-three Steven Cairns stole 230 toner cartridges in just three months from Ikon Office Solutions, which maintained photocopiers at BAE’s Barrow site.The 40-year-old from Barrow then sold the cartridges on internet auction site Ebay, despite experiencing no financial difficulties at the time, Barrow Crown Court heard.Cairns then ploughed his gains into luxury items like jewellery, which he then sold on.The total value of the stolen cartridges was £17,145, with a retail value of £32,000.Cairns, whose address cannot be revealed for legal reasons, began working for Ikon in June 2005 but was suspended once the company began to investigate him.Mr Wayne Goldstein, prosecuting, said: “From about April this year there appeared to be an increase in the amount of toner used.“A colleague searched Ebay to see if there was any explanation and his attention was drawn to one particular account located in this area.“The history of items sold through the account closely matched the missing equipment.”

On August 23, Cairns was arrested after being monitored by the Ebay fraud team.At first Cairns told cops he knew nothing of the thefts, brazenly claiming he had no access to Ebay.As the net closed on him, Cairns destroyed his computer in a bid to hide evidence of his Ebay transactions.Mr Brian Williams, defending, said: “This is a hard-working man who has never claimed benefits.“He behaved as a complete and utter fool but it will be difficult for his family if he is sent immediately to custody.”In passing a 12-month prison sentence on Cairns, suspended for two years, Judge Beverley Lunt told him: “You committed these thefts from your employer out of greed but were not driven to it by financial need.“You may have behaved like a complete and utter fool, but more accurately you behaved like a complete and utter criminal.“You have come as close to immediate custody as is possible.”The judge also ordered Cairns to complete 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.A further hearing will take place next year to establish how much Cairns profited from the venture.

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November 28, 2007 at 12:08 PM