A night-shift worker at Carlisle's Kingstown Argos store stole computer games worth more than £800 - by hiding them down his trousers.
Peter Sharman, 27, who was employed at the store as a team leader, stole 23 consoles as he committed what his lawyer admitted was an "utterly stupid" crime.
At the city's Rickergate magistrates' court, the defendant, of Raffles Avenue, Raffles, Carlisle, pleaded guilty to a charge of employee theft.
Prosecutor Pam Ward told the court that Sharman worked for the company for seven years and at the time his role was team leader.
The value of the console games he stole was £854.
Some of the games he sold on and others he kept so he could use them himself, said the prosecutor.
The defendant's lawyer Tariq Khwam suggested that Sharman's job was not one of high responsibility but the defendant still felt he had let down himself, his family, and his former employer.
"At the time he was under a lot of personal stress, but that's no-excuse," said Mr Khwam.
When the theft came to light, Sharman agreed to go face up to what he had done by going to a disciplinary hearing, despite knowing he was about to lose his job.
Magistrates imposed a community order with a requirement to complete 100-hours of unpaid work.
Sharman must also pay prosecution costs of £170.
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