A bereaved United Utilities worker paid off drug dealers he owed by filling up their cars using his company fuel card. David Stephenson, 50, from Rochdale, used the card over 100 times to buy nearly £8,000 worth of petrol in just over a month.
He later admitted he had a 'pernicious drug habit' and said he had received threats from dealers so in 'desperation' resorted to using the card to fill up their cars for them, a court heard.
Stephenson, who had worked for the region's water company for 18 years but who lost his job after the swindle came to light, narrowly avoided being sent straight to prison by a judge who said he had 'abused the trust' of his former employer.
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Stephenson was off work on sick leave in the Autumn of 2021 when bosses noticed he had still been using the card. An internal investigation was launched and it was discovered that he had used the card 125 times over a period five-week period between September and October, leaving the company £7,836.90 out of pocket.
The transactions occurred at petrol stations in various locations including Manchester, Bury and Rochdale, Bacup, Haslingden and Rawtenstall in Lancashire and Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, something the judge said she believed he had done in ' in the hope, it would go undetected.' CCTV footage captured him filling up some of the cars, which were not company vehicles.
During the company investigation he 'fully accepted' the fraudulent use of the card including in WhatsApp messages to his manager, the court was told.
"He admitted he had a pernicious drug habit and was using the card to fill up the cars of drug dealers to make payment for drugs" Gwen Henshaw, prosecuting, said.
Stephenson, of Wray Place, Rochdale, admitted one count of fraud by abuse of position at an earlier hearing at the magistrates' court, and was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday (November 9).
The court heard he had seven previous convictions for 11 offences, including a custodial sentence for selling drugs dating back to 2002. After being released he had 'turned his life around' and the court was told.
However, Beth Caunce, defending, said following the loss of his partner and his mother in 'quick succession' in late 2019 and early 2020 he 'turned back to drugs, which had been a feature of his youth.' She said it quickly 'spiralled out of control' and that he 'couldn't afford this very expensive habit.'
"In his state of desperation, he made the terrible decision to use the company's fuel card to pay for the drugs," she said.
Ms Caunce said Stephenson suffered with a number of serious medical issues as well as 'substantial' mental health issues. He had taken 'considerable steps to address his addiction' with the help of local mental health support service Stepping Stones she added and said he had agreed to do voluntary work at the homeless shelter where he stayed when he himself was homeless.
"He's extremely remorseful," she said. "He says it was the biggest mistake of his life and he bitterly regrets what he's done. He also understands the impact of the offending this has caused his employer and customers. He co-operated fully with the investigation."
District Judge Sarah-Jane Griffiths told him: "This is a serious matter. You breached the trust of your employer. When you are given something like a fuel card, you are entrusted to use it for the correct purposes. I find this is clearly an abuse of trust and there's also an element of significant planning after the initial start of the offending."
However, she said there had been a delay in the case during which time he had not re-offended and that she accepted he was 'genuinely remorseful.' he added he had shown 'some determination to address your drug addiction'
She said: "Whilst this is an offence of theft from your employer where ordinarily I might be minded to say that a sentence of immediate imprisonment should follow, I am persuaded in your case, given you have stayed out of trouble for so long, given that you are engaging with Stepping Stones, that I am able to suspend your sentence."
He was handed an 18-week prison term, suspended for 18 months and was also ordered to do 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days with the probation service.
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