Police officer in £29k theft shame
Cash was taken from his force’s clubs
A POLICE officer has been warned he is likely to go to prison for stealing nearly £30,000 from clubs he ran for South Wales Police.
Justin Lott, 40, from Bridgend, admitted pocketing thousands of pounds from the force’s triathlon club and athletics fund over a period of about five years.
Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Jenkins told him: “You have pleaded guilty to serious matters of theft involving a gross breach of trust.”
The case of Justin Lott and his wife Sharyn Lott, who is also a police officer, was listed for a plea and trial preparation hearing yesterday.
Prosecutors said the couple, from Oaklands Road in Bridgend, were in charge of running sports and social clubs.
Justin Lott faced five counts of theft and three of false accounting, relating to the period between December 2011 and January 2017.
He admitted stealing £9,439.25 from the South Wales Police Bridgend Triathlon Club between January 2014 and January 2017. The officer pleaded guilty to the theft of £10,542.95 from an athletics fund over the same period.
He also admitted stealing £9,280 in December 2011.
Justin Lott denied three counts of false accounting, relating to documents about payments for coaching.
He pleaded not guilty to a further theft charge and denied stealing two laptops from the force.
Prosecutors did not seek a trial and accepted the figure involved was just over £29,000, rather than the £32,500 initially alleged.
Justin Lott’s barrister Jonathan Elystan Rees asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Judge Jenkins ordered the report and granted him bail until he is sentenced on July 26.
But the judge warned him: “The fact that I am adjourning for a pre-sentence report and allowing you bail means nothing and you should read nothing into it. All sentencing options, including immediate custody, are open to the court.”
Sharyn Lott, 43, represented by Lucy Crowther, denied acquiring £280 in criminal property on July 27, 2016. Her plea was accepted by the Crown and a formal not guilty verdict was recorded.
Judge Jenkins told her: “You are free to leave the dock.”
The case will be listed for mention under the Proceeds of Crime Act on October 15, with a full-day hearing scheduled on October 26.