Workers who stole £6,000 of booze from Asda Great Bridge spared jail

Home delivery driver, Kalwant Dosanjh, and forklift truck driver, Sukhdeep Purewal, carried out the ruse at Asda Great Bridge seven times in 2016.

They nabbed booze including Bacardi, Famous Grouse whisky and Carling lager estimated to be worth between £4,000 and £6,000.

On Thursday the pair appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court to be sentenced where it emerged Dosanjh now works at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, as a driver delivering medicines.

The pair were given community orders by Recorder Collingwood Thompson QC. Dosanjh, aged 43, was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work while 45-year-old Purewal was given an alcohol treatment requirement for six months.

Miss Joanne Barker, prosecuting, said Asda's security team had launched an investigation into missing stock and caught the pair in the act on December 11.

She said: "Security watched as Purewal opened the yard gate and a car was driven by Dosanjh into the yard. They were seen loading items into the car.

"When they were approached by staff it was discovered the boot of the car had been loaded with 11 cases worth £1,170."

The pair were arrested and police then searched their homes where they discovered further beer, vodka and whisky.

At Purewal’s home in Priory Drive, Oldbury, officers also found £1,540 in cash of which he admitted half had been acquired through the sale of alcohol stolen from Asda.

It was at the home of Dosanjh, in Viaduct Drive, Dunstall, Wolverhampton, that cans of Carling and four cases of Bacardi rum were found.

Both men later admitted stealing alcohol in the same way on six other occasions and admitted theft by an employee before magistrates in January.

Purewal told police in an interview he had sold some of the stolen alcohol to shops in Smethwick.

Dosanjh said he gave bottles as gifts and shared in the profits of sales by his colleague.

Mr Shawn Williams, defending Dosanjh, said his client was heavily in debt.

He added: "Dosanjh had become indebted to the tune or around £20,000 which was predominantly credit card debts.

"When the situation became more difficult he took refuge in alcohol. That is not an excuse but it perhaps an explanation for why a man of good character should suddenly throw it all away.

"He is now not drinking and has found work at New Cross Hospital as a driver delivering medicines."

Mr David Houldcroft, defending Purewal, said his client was looking for a new job.

He added: "He is hopeful of getting into agency-type work. He is on Jobseeker's Allowance at the minute."

Recorder Thompson QC told the pair they were "extremely fortunate" they had not been handed prison sentences.

Investigating officers will now also seek to reclaim proceeds from the pair’s crimes at a later date.