Two in £12k metal theft from Coseley employer
Two men plundered more than £12,000 worth of aluminium in less than a month from the firm where they were working, a judge heard.
They sold the haul for £1,600 to a scrap metal business, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Jordan Chapman, aged 20, and 22-year-old Nathan Johnson struck 11 times in three and a half weeks at office partition system manufacturer Apton in Gough Road, Coseley, Mr Howard Searle, prosecuting, said. Then the pair were caught red handed by the operations director who checked CCTV film after being warned that aluminium was going missing.
Mr Searle added: "It showed Johnson using a trolley to take metal out of the premises and Chapman driving out with metal sticking out of his car.
"The operations director knew of a scrap business a third of a mile away and discovered that the two employees had weighed in metal there on 11 occasions and been paid £1,666."
A check revealed £12,231 worth of stock had been stolen from the firm where Johnson had worked for four years and Chapman had been on the payroll for a couple of months, the court heard. Both were sacked.
Miss Sarah Allen, for Johnson, of Southey Close, Willenhall, who had a previous conviction for theft, said: "For the sake of less than £2,000 he has placed in jeopardy his liberty, lost his job and potentially ruined opportunities later in life. He was overcome with the desire to earn a quick bit of money."
Mr Stephen Cadwaladr, representing Chapman, of Remington Road, Walsall who was of previous good character, told the court: "He is filled with remorse and thoroughly ashamed but has found a new job as an upholsterer."
Both men admitted stealing metal belonging to Apton and were each given a six-month term of custody suspended for a year and ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work and pay £300 costs.
