Man stole £13k to pay off drug dealers

Jailing Shane Dawkins, Judge David McFarland said that those who breached the trust placed in them by their employers should expect to go to prison.

Dawkins, from Killaughey Road in Donaghadee, appeared at Belfast Crown Court where he was sentenced for a single count of theft.

After his arrest last May, Dawkins made a “full confession” about his criminality and admitted stealing a total of £13,713.37 from Belfast-based catering company Aramark over a period from April 18 to May 24, 2018.

The court heard that Dawkins began taking cocaine after his partner was diagnosed with a terminal illness. His cocaine use increased as her condition deteriorated, and at one point he was spending £500 a week on the Class A drug.

Outlining the Crown case against Dawkins, prosecuting barrister Mark Farrell said Dawkins’ offending came to light at the end of May when he sent an email to the regional manager of the company, confessing that in his capacity as catering manager, he had borrowed money over the course of the last few weeks which he couldn’t pay back.

The regional manager contacted the police, an investigation was launched and Dawkins was arrested.

Mr Farrell said that in role as catering manager, one of Dawkins’ areas of responsibility was to cash up the tills where Aramark supplied catering outlets to, including two civil service buildings.

Instead of lodging this cash into the company’s bank account, Dawkins stole the money.

When police called to Dawkins’ house to arrest him, they searched the property for cash but found none. When questioned about his actions, Dawkins made full admissions.

Mr Farrell concluded the Crown case by telling Judge McFarland that Dawkins had a clear criminal record, adding: “He has shown remorse to police and a willingness to repay the money back on a future.”

Defence barrister Richard McConkey spoke of Dawkins’ life taking a “downwards spiral” after his partner - who has since passed away - was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Mr McConkey said his client started using cocaine, which increased as her condition deteriorated and which resulted in debts to drug dealers he was in “genuine fear” of.

The barrister said Dawkins thought he would be able to pay back the money he ‘borrowed’ from his employer, and when it became apparent he could not do this, he contacted the relevant person in work and confessed to what he had done.

Sending Dawkins to jail for nine months, Judge McFarland said the case involved theft from employers, which was a serious offence.

Telling Dawkins “instead of depositing money into your employer’s bank account, you took it for your own purpose”, the judge said that while he accepted his remorse was genuine, he did however breach the trust placed in him.