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Gambling addict is jailed for £30k theft

A worker stole more than £30,000 from a Wolverhampton roofing firm to fund his gambling addiction by faking invoices from Bilston-based Liberty Roofing Services.

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A worker stole more than £30,000 from a Wolverhampton roofing firm to fund his gambling addiction by faking invoices from Bilston-based Liberty Roofing Services.

Austin Massey made 80 orders of lead before cutting it up and selling it for scrap.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday, Judge Michael Challinor jailed him for nine months after he admitted theft.

The 41-year-old got a job with the firm through his brother, Adrian — a manager at the company.

Mr Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting, said Massey was employed as a contract manager and was responsible for processing and paying for materials.

In November, the firm's head office in Wigan found 80 invoices for materials that were not required. They appeared to have been signed by the defendant's brother.

But the court heard it was established the paperwork had been signed by Massey.

Mr Linnemann said: "The defendant was called into the office by the director and admitted what he had done."

The scrap value of the lead was between £8,000 and £10,000 but the invoices totalled £30,517. The court heard Massey, of Ensdon Grove, Kingstanding, Birmingham, had worked for the firm for about five years.

Mr Linnemann said Massey had already gambled away £27,000 — money from the sale of a house after a marriage break-up.

Mr Tarlowchan Dubb, for Massey, said the former Royal Navy employee was receiving treatment for his gambling addiction.

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