A gambling addict who stole from his firm has been ordered to pay back all of the cash he stole to pay off his debts.
Bus driver Amar Aslam took £1,749 in takings home with him instead of paying it in at the end of his shifts.
Kirklees Magistrates’ Court heard that the 37-year-old driver with First Bus Group had amassed debts of £20,000 due to his gambling addiction.
He used the money from customer ticket sales to stave off loan sharks but quit the Macaulay Street-based firm when his bosses launched an investigation into the missing cash.
Aslam, of Rafborn Grove in Salendine Nook, pleaded guilty to theft by employee.
He stole the cash during 10 shifts between January 24 and February 5, magistrates were told.
The ticket machines on buses operated by First record the total sold to customers.
The fares taken are then kept by the drivers until the end of their shifts when they deposit the takings into one of two machines at the bus depot.
First, who employed Aslam for three-and-half-years, noticed that the tickets sold didn’t match the amount of money paid in by him and disciplinary proceedings were started.
Lisa Evans, prosecuting, said: “He stated he had the receipts for the takings and would show these to the company.
“However, he failed to provide these and resigned.”
Aslam’s solicitor Jane Shaw explained that he had been a gambling addict for 13 years and got himself into difficulties with credit cards and loan sharks.
She told magistrates: “During the time of the offences he initially failed to bank the takings because his wife was in Pakistan following the death of her father.
“Thereafter he was approached by a loan shark at the doorstep.
“He had hold of his child, panicked and paid back the loan shark using his takings.
“He’s very sorry for what he’s done – it has to be accepted there’s some breach of trust between employer and employee.”
Miss Shaw added that Aslam now has his gambling problem under control and is no longer responsible for managing the money coming into his household.
Magistrates were told that Aslam had a previous theft conviction on his record from 2001 when he stole a boiler from an old house.
They ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work as punishment.
Aslam must also pay back the full amount of the cash he stole from First Bus as well as £85 costs and £60 victim surcharge.
