Black Country delivery driver set up eBay account for stolen stock, court hears

Brett Male had worked for Aquila Truck Centres in Aldridge for two years but was about to be made redundant, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.

Suspicion fell on the 23 year old after management launched an investigation amid fears that stock was going missing, explained Miss Joanne Barker, prosecuting.

He was arrested and identified three other members of staff he felt were to blame, the court heard.

Miss Barker continued: "His home address was searched and four items were found along with others that were still boxed. They were bespoke items stocked by only two places in the country other than Aquila."

Male, who was due to be made redundant on August 15, had changed the name on his eBay user account to one that was not easily traceable to him on June 13, it was said.

The defendant insisted that he had never had any bids for the items listed on this site and had made no money from it. He admitted taking a £30 sensor from Aquila and putting a high pressure pump up for sale for £244 that belonged to the firm. He said he had photographed the pump at the plant and would have removed it if it had been sold via eBay but had received no bid for it.

Male alleged that he was also advertising other items for workmates and expected to get a small share of the price if they were bought but no bid was made for any of them either. Stock totalling £2,800 was recovered from his home address, the court heard.

The case was presented on the basis that Male had not sold any stolen item on eBay despite advertising 12 for sale. The prosecutor confirmed that police had relied on the findings of the company's internal inquiries.

Judge Martin Walsh declared: "I find it somewhat surprising that in a case of fraud where an eBay account has been set up to disguise the identity of the vendor and it is claimed that the items recovered were the only ones offered for sale through the account, the police did not bother to check whether other items had been sold."

Mr Christopher Loach, defending, observed: "It would not have been a difficult matter to establish if any sales were made. No actual sale or profit was made by him."

Male from Bickley Road, Rushall, Walsall admitted committing fraud between January 1 and August 1 and was given a 12-month jail sentence suspended under supervision for two years with 180 hours unpaid work.

Judge Walsh commented: "This was akin to theft from a position of trust. The offence was committed in conjunction with other employees of the business but I am told there was no loss to the company and I sentence you on that basis."