February 20, 2020 4.30 pm This story is over 49 months old

Sutterton gambling addict blamed company debts on his partner

He racked up debts of £12,000 on the company credit card
| Photo: Sean MacEntee

A Sutterton gambling addict who racked up debts of £12,000 on a company credit card and blamed it on his partner has been ordered by a court to pay back £4,000.

Mark Goodsir, 46 and of Boston Road in Sutterton, worked as the produce manager at a company in March, Cambridgeshire.

The company needed him to travel for the role, sometimes internationally, and Goodsir requested a credit card to pay for it.

But between October 2018 and January 2019 he racked up costs of £12,000 and when questioned by the company, which wanted to work with him, he made up excuses.

These included claims his partner had spent the money or he had sent the cash back to them but there was a “banking error.”

Goodsir was suspended from work in January last year and failed to return his company laptop and keys.

A few months later the company referred the matter to the police. When interviewed by officers Goodsir admitted taking the cash for personal use.

He claimed he was a gambling addict and used the card for this, adding the company had taken his final month’s salary of £8,000 and thus he only owed them £4,000.

Goodsir said he would pay the remaining money back in four monthly installments and the company was happy with this.

Four payment dates were planned between Goodsir and the company, with the agreement to finalise the police investigation with a community remedy and letter of apology.

However, the first payment day went by with no money received and Goodsir then stopped all communication with the company and police.

When arrested and interviewed for a second time by police, Goodsir admitted he knew he had committed fraud and apologised.

He claimed he was ‘just chasing the final win’ to pay all of the cash back and would be happy to do so if given another chance.

PC Greg Pritchard, who investigated, said: “Goodsir had absolutely no consideration for others as he stole from his employer.

“Even after promising to pay the cash back and being offered the chance of a community remedy, he ignored the company and police completely.

“Hopefully this case will serve as a wake-up call to anyone else hoping to turn a profit through deception and I hope he will now reflect on his actions.”

Goodsir pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation at a previous hearing and was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court on Thursday, February 20.

He was handed an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £4,000 in compensation.