Petrol station manager stole cash to pay child expenses

The manager of a petrol station has admitted embezzling cash to pay back his ex-partner for child expenses.

Stephen Ward stole £520 from the Glasgow Fort branch in the city’s Easterhouse on January 10, 2019.

The 30-year-old used a scheme of refunding purchased cigarettes and taking the cash.

On Friday, the first offender pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to embezzlement.

The court heard discrepancies were uncovered as the petrol station’s figures were separate from the supermarket.

Prosecutor Ramsay Cunningham said: “Enquiries discovered all these transactions were taking place only when Ward was in his leadership role.”

He was interviewed where he made admissions of stealing “quantities of money”.

Mr Cunningham said: “He said he did this with items such as cigarettes by selling a packet to the customer.

“He would refund the item and remove the cost of this from the till.

“He said he did this as a result of owing his ex money for child expenses and this was his only option.”

Ward stated he stole £520 and it was in his car which was recovered after a search.

Mr Cunningham said: “He explained, as he was a manager, he could allow such discrepancies, making sure he wasn’t doing this when other employees were working.”

The dad-of-four was arrested, and he told officers: “Would it speed it up for you if I say I did it?”

Craig Broadley, defending, told the court Ward currently works as a manager at a convenience store in the city’s east end and he is in debt of £30,000.

Sheriff Paul Brown ordered Ward, of the city’s Garthamlock, to undertake 133 hours of unpaid work.

He told Ward: “You don’t have any previous convictions and you have [a] good work record but these are still serious offences.

“It’s not just the nature of the offence, but it is a breach of trust.

“They put trust in you by being the manager of the store and you broke that trust.”