COLNE: Tesco Express manager stole £6,000 and blew it on drugs

Addict Tahir Hussain stuffed the cash from the safe at Tesco Express, Colne, into his pockets, left the store, got a train to London and stayed there for a month until he had spent up.

He then returned, handed himself in to police and claimed the store owned him money and his wife had thrown him out as he had not been taking any wages home, Burnley Crown Court was told.

The hearing was told how Hussain had a criminal record going back 24 years and had committed dishonesty offences when he was a youth. He also had many other previous convictions for other offences and had already served jail terms. He was said to have been swiftly promoted to manager within five weeks of starting work at the Colne shop and had been given keys to the safe.

The defendant had admitted theft of £5,788 in August and had been committed for sentence by magistrates. He was jailed for eight months and may face a proceeds of crime hearing.

Sentencing him, Recorder Nigel Grundy said the offence was a “clear breach of trust” after he had been taken on at Tesco and given a position of responsibility. He added: “One might say that in itself is curious, given your previous convictions.”

The judge said the defendant, who had breached every court order he had been given, had been greedy and spent all the proceeds on himself, not his wife and family.

Miss Sarah Statham (prosecuting) said it seemed “rather strange” the defendant became a manager at Tesco, in view of his record.

Hussain went to work at 2 p.m. and his shift was due to end at 11 p.m. At 8-50 p.m., a staff member phoned another manager and told him the defendant had left the store and not returned. The other manager came back to the shop and Hussain was still missing. He then found cash had gone from the safe and the defendant’s keys had been used.”

Miss Statham said police were called and when the till receipts were gone though, it was found £5,788 had been taken. Hussain never returned to the shop and was dismissed.

The defendant was arrested in October and questioned. Hussain told police he had been working at Colne for four to five weeks, had been quickly promoted to manager and felt he had not been trained particularly well for the job. He claimed he had worked without pay, presumably because he was paid monthly, rather then weekly, and said it was causing problems at home. He told officers his wife was upset he had not been bringing home any money and had thrown him out just before the theft.

The defendant (39), of Stirling Drive, Blackburn, said he had not intended to take the cash, but had “cracked”, decided he was going home, stuffed the cash into his pockets. He claimed he wanted to get back at Tesco as, he felt, they owed him money. He added he was deeply sorry for what he had done and apologised to store staff for causing any problems.

The court was told Hussain had previous convictions for robbery, theft, burglary, deception, handling stolen goods, violence, perverting the course of justice, driving while disqualified and harassment

Miss Clare Thomas (for Hussain) said at the time of the offence he had been in the grip of a heroin addiction. Hussain stayed in bed and breakfasts in London, spent his time taking drugs and, when the money ran out, came back and handed himself in.

He had undergone drugs rehabilitation in Pakistan successfully two years ago, but relapsed about four months before the offence.

The defendant’s wife and children were extremely upset by what he had done. He was genuinely remorseful and had referred himself to a substance misuse team. The barrister added:”His drugs misuse has been the root of his offending throughout his life.”