'˜Trusted' sales assistant stole £150,000 of watches and jewellery from Halifax jewellers

Bradford Crown Court heard that 33-year-old Graham Frost was already in debt following a failed online clothing business when he started working at Lister Horsfall Jewellers in January 2015.

But almost immediately he began smuggling valuable items out of the shop and carried on stealing from his employer for another nine months.

Frost’s crimes came to light in October 2015 when he was caught trying to leave the shop with two Rolex purses and some promotional Omega pens hidden in his bag.

Frost, of Penn Lane, Derby, made no comment during two police interviews last year, but he pleaded guilty to stealing items worth £150,000, converting stolen goods into cash and possessing criminal property.

Mr Bourne-Arton said a search of Frost’s home in 2015 led to the discovery of almost £38,000 in cash and he was also found to have deposited just over £45,000 into various bank accounts.

The court heard that police also recovered a number of watches from the property including a stolen pocket watch which had previously belonged to the grandfather of the shop owner.

Married Frost was said to have been remorseful for what he had done, but in a discussion about the offending with a probation officer his only explanation for the crime was “pure greed”.

Barrister James Beck, for Frost, said it seemed liked his client began his offending and couldn’t stop himself.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC was told that Frost faced losing his current employment and his accommodation if he was sent to jail, but he described the theft from the jewellers as “blatant, brazen and mean”.

The judge said Frost had been a highly trusted employee and his offending was deliberate and sustained.

Judge Durham Hall was told that Frost had assets, including the cash restrained in his accounts, totalling almost £80,000 and the he ordered the money to be paid as compensation to Lister Horsfall within the next three months.