By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 10:34, Saturday, 12 September 2009

A worker with a gambling problem went on the run with his boss’s credit card for about a month.

Sixty-three-year-old Paul David Joyce disappeared for weeks after stealing a works van and more than £2,000 of gardening equipment, a credit card and cash from a mobile home site in Egremont.

Joyce, who worked at the Lakeland View site, drove around the country using the credit card to buy food and petrol.

He spent about a month driving to Winchester via several towns and cities, and sold the items he had stolen.

Joyce, of Foundry Road, Parton, was charged with a string of offences which took place between August 10 and September 8.

He admitted two counts of theft, taking a van without consent and driving without insurance.

Whitehaven magistrates ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, pay a £500 fine and £70 prosecution costs. He has also been banned from driving for six months.

Charles Bland, prosecuting, said: “Joyce was employed at Lakeland View in Egremont which is a residential park home site, he also lived on site with his partner.

“On this particular day he drove off with the company van, a lawnmower, strimmer, concrete disc cutter and a Wacca plate [cement mixture/compactor]. He also took £300 in cash and a credit card belonging to the owner of the business.”

Mr Bland said that over the next month the defendant drove down to Winchester via a number of town and cities including Birmingham. Joyce used the credit card a number of times to pay for petrol and food and had then sold the items he had stolen.

The court heard that Joyce was arrested in Winchester on Tuesday.

Mr Bland said: “He said he had a gambling problem and that had been the reason he had taken the items.”

Val Hendren, for Joyce, said that her client had financial difficulties as a result of a reduction of work hours at the company in Egremont.

Mrs Hendren said: “My client was allowed to use the van for work, but he clearly used it for taking the items and then taking them down the country. There was no damage done to the van or the business in Egremont.”

She added: “This involved a breach of trust with his employer and everything that occurred between August 10 and the date he was arrested, has serious consequences.”

First published at 09:09, Saturday, 12 September 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk