An employee who issued rewards cards at an Asda supermarket used a customer's loyalty credit to go on a shopping spree, splashing out on a TV and furniture.
Fraudster Samuel Walsh spent over £400 in two different stores, with his haul also including hair straighteners, frying pans, a child's toy and flatbreads.
The 26-year-old targeted his victim after she moved three lots of loyalty credit onto one account in April 2020, a court heard.
An investigation was launched after she tried to use her card and found there was significantly less funds than she'd expected.
Walsh had used a keyring-sized card associated with the account at the Greyhound Retail Park in Chester and Queensferry in Deeside.
He had worked for an agency that operated the scheme, issuing cards at the Asda Bromborough store for around a month and a half.
Though he had been caught on CCTV making the purchases, Walsh denied wrongdoing in a police interview, claiming he had been sold the card for £300.
However, Walsh later abandoned that defence.
At the Chester store, £330 was spent on goods. This haul included £250 on a TV, £40 on hair straighteners, as well as a collection of frying pans and flatbreads.
Additionally, just under £100 was spent at the Queensferry store, paying for a furniture set and a child's toy.
The defendant was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court earlier today (May 19), having pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Prosecuting, Henry Riding told the court that Walsh's victim Ms Hale had accumulated £455.83 onto one card to spend in Asda stores.
She tried to use the card at the Bromborough store on April 29 2020.
However, she couldn't use it to pay as the balance was around £40.
In mitigation, Brendan Carville said his client had not reoffended in the three years since.
He added that Walsh didn't know who owned the card and it was not an act of "cunning or callous deception", but an "opportunistic offence".
Sentencing, Mr Recorder Eric Lamb told Walsh: "It is extraordinary that you involved yourself in this when you are a man of previously good character".
He described the offending as an "extraordinary lapse on your part" and a "breach of trust" placed on the agency and him by Asda.
Walsh was handed a one year community order.
He must complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 10 required rehabilitation days.
