A bus driver stole almost £2,000 of takings from his firm as he struggled to pay off his £20,000 gambling debts.
Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that Amar Aslam, a driver for First Bus Group for three-and-half years, took his takings home with him instead of cashing it in.
He then used the money to pay off a loan shark – and called in sick before quitting.
Aslam, of Rafborn Grove in Salendine Nook, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by employee.
He stole cash from the company’s office, based at Huddersfield Bus Station in Macaulay Street, between January 24 and February 5.
Prosecutor Jill Seddon explained that the ticket machines used by bus drivers would keep a rolling total of the tickets sold while they would keep hold of the cash handed over to them by customers.
They would then at the end of each shift when they returned to the depot use a card with a pin number to deposit the money taken into a machine
However, the company noticed a discrepancy between the number of tickets sold by Aslam and the amount of cash he deposited into the machine.
Mrs Seddon said: “He was suspected of stealing the money but denied it and said he had receipts to prove it.
“But then he went off sick and then resigned.
“No action could be taken by the company and the matter was reported to police.”
The 37-year-old stole a total of £1,749 from First Bus.
His solicitor Leveene Hill said that he had a gambling addiction and had amassed a £20,000 debt.
This resulted in him pawning his wife’s jewellery and on the day he was due to have it returned he couldn’t pay for it.
Then he borrowed money from a loan shark but received threats when he couldn’t pay this back.
Miss Hill said: “He says a lot of drivers will take their takings home if the machines they are supposed to cash them into are broken.
“He took his takings home in a rush but then received a number of threats from the loan shark and decides that the easiest way to deal with it is to pay this money to the loan shark.
“He was trying to keep the wolves away from the door and hoped to obtain some money to pay them (First Bus) back.
“But when he realised he couldn’t pay back the money he decided to resign.”
Magistrates ordered a probation report ahead of Aslam’s sentencing on December 12, adding that all sentencing options remained open.
