A golf club chef stole cheques from the steward and cashed them to pay for his gambling debts.
A court heard Clacton golf club steward Graham Rackham checked an account he had for his catering business and discovered it was £600 short.
When he asked to see the cashed cheque, the signature bore no resemblance to his own.
Chelmsford Crown Court also heard how other cheques had also been taken from a cheque book but when Mr Rackham asked the bank to stop them, it was too late.
The court was told the chef Mr Rackham had employed, Darran Pearmund, got away with £1,345.32 before matters came to light.
Pearmund, 25, of Bournemouth Road, Holland-on-Sea, admitted four charges of obtaining property by deception and one of theft when he appeared in court. He also asked for 11 similar matters to be considered.
He was given a 120-hour punishment order after the court heard he was being assessed for a place on a seven-month course in the West Midlands for gambling addiction.
Samantha Leigh, mitigating, said Pearmund had taken the money to pay gambling debts.
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Friday, February 18, 2005
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