Ex-Ikea employee stole vouchers

Evans was made redundant after three weeks

A security guard who stole gift tokens worth £42,000 from the new IKEA furniture store in Cardiff has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Shaun Evans, 22, from Ely, Cardiff, was on his last day guarding the store when he heard about the delivery of vouchers.

Prosecutor John Lloyd told Cardiff Crown Court that he decided to take the vouchers to furnish his home after being made redundant just three weeks after joining the Swedish-owned firm.

He said: "Mr Evans admitted he had stolen the vouchers while working at the Ikea store, employed by Securicor.

"He said he acted together with three other security guards and they split them between them."

You chose to take out your resentment by stealing from the firm you were supposed to safeguard. Judge William Gaskell

Father-of-one Evans admitted theft from the Cardiff Bay store in October last year.

But the court heard the vouchers were worthless because Ikea staff cancelled them after the theft was discovered.

Plan

Eugene Egan, defending, said Evans and his colleagues formed the plan after overhearing news of the vouchers.

He said: "They overheard a conversation that vouchers were going to be delivered to the store.

"They formed a plan to intercept the delivery and share out the proceeds.

"Evans's rationale was get the vouchers to kit out his house because he had a baby on the way.

"His girlfriend was about to give birth and they were living in premises with very little furniture."

Evans was given a 15-month suspended sentence.

Judge William Gaskell told him: "After three weeks your employment came to an end.

"You were naturally disappointed with that, but you chose to take out your resentment by stealing from the firm you were supposed to safeguard.

"You were there to protect Ikea and this was a serious breach of trust."