A FORMER Morrisons petrol station worker who tried to "buy a customer's friendship" by giving him stolen cigarettes and scratch cards has avoided a jail sentence.

Jack Allsobrook, 22 and of Aston Way, pleaded guilty to 16 charges of theft and fraud over a period of two months between June 10 and August 15, 2021 while co-defendant Joshua H Warner, from Middlewich in Cheshire, pleaded guilty to nine counts of theft.

The pair appeared together at Telford Magistrates Court on Tuesday, November 8 charged with nine counts of theft of cigarettes and scratch cards amounting to a combined amount of around £3,000, while Allsobrook admitted five charges of stealing foodstuffs and two charges of fraud by abuse of position.

Magistrates at Telford heard that Allsobrook was a member at staff at the supermarket in Shrewsbury Road and had stuck up a friendship with Warner, a customer who came in for fuel.

Across the two-month period, the former would add packets of cigarettes to his fuel without taking payment, as well as scratch cards, only for the offences to be noticed when his manager returned from holiday and was asked to begin an investigation into a large loss in lottery goods.

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This led to an internal investigation into Allsobrook, who was also found to have taken foodstuffs, low in value such as £3-7, and had also helped himself to £45 from the business, dishonestly.

The prosecution told the court that he admitted the offences immediately to police, when they were called by Morrisons, and explained that he 'threw in a few cigarettes' to Warner, but felt too weak to stop and did not want to upset him, but also that he did not feel bullied into doing it.

The court heard that Warner attended a voluntary interview with police and admitted receiving the stolen goods, and told officers he felt that the supermarket worker was trying to "buy his friendship".

Allsobrook's defence told the court he admitted the offence and added: "This is a young man who doesn’t have criminal genes – it’s a one-off which he has accepted and he is suitable for unpaid work."

Allsobrook was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months and was also given 130 hours of unpaid work.

He will also have to pay the supermarket £3,247 in compensation as well as £185 in costs and £128 victim surcharge.

Warner was given a 12-month community order, also with 130 hours of unpaid work, and will have to pay £1,250 in compensation, costs of £185 and £95 towards the victim surcharge.