Cleaner jailed for stealing ^4,000 of computer equipment from FGW in Plymouth

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police press release:

CLEANER JAILED FOR 16 MONTHS AFTER ADMITTING STEALING ^4,000 OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT FROM TRAIN COMPANY - PLYMOUTH

A cleaner who stole monitors and hi-tech electrical equipment worth more than ^4,000 from the Plymouth offices of a train company has been jailed for 16 months.

Mark Sheehan, 37, took equipment from the First Group's Intercity House offices at the railway station five times while at work between April and June 2009.

Sheehan, of Whitleigh, Plymouth, admitted taking six monitors, a projector and video conferencing system worth a total of ^4,330 on five separate occasions between April 9 and June 18.

In November, Plymouth magistrates heard Sheehan was "desperate for money" and sold some of the equipment for a fraction of its value.

The court decided it did not have enough power to deal with Sheehan and the case was referred to Plymouth Crown Court for sentence.

Prosecutors told the court that staff at Intercity House noticed in March that equipment was going missing from four floors. The offices had a swipe card entry system and there was no sign of forced entry.

BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers set up a covert camera in the offices and Sheehan was spotted taking a computer monitor.

Officers searched Sheehan's home and some of the equipment stolen from the offices was recovered.

BTP also discovered other items had been sold to a Cash Converter shop in Plymouth city centre where Sheehan had left his full details.

After his arrest by BTP, Sheehan admitted five counts of theft and was sentenced to 16 months at Plymouth Crown Court on Thursday 17 December.

Detective Inspector Mick Southerton said: ^This sentence sends out a strong message that it^s completely unacceptable to steal from your employer. Sheehan was detected as a result of excellent police work which included installing a covert camera, fingerprint recovery from the scene of the thefts and Detective Constable Dave Bailey of Plymouth CID visiting a local Cash Converter store which helped link Sheehan with the stolen property.^

First Great Western Head of Security, Paula Durrans, said: "We are pleased to see Mr Sheehan being brought to justice. This acts as a deterrent to anyone else who may consider committing a crime of any sort against the railways."