JLR worker stole parts worth £82k to sell on
A JAGUAR Land Rover worker stole more than £82,000 worth of car parts to sell on.
Patrick McCusker admitted taking the items between October 23 and November 26 last year.
The 51-year-old, of Rylstone Road, Quinton, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft by employee at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.
The case was deemed too serious for the bench’s sentencing powers and it was committed to Birmingham Crown Court.
Robert Skinner, prosecuting, gave a brief outline of the facts.
He said: “The defendant was at the time working at Jaguar Land Rover. While there, he stole a number of items, mainly cameras.
“The cost to Jaguar Land Rover of the parts was around £10,000 as they were bought in bulk.
“But the total retail value of those was £82,166.
“It is high-value and involves a breach of trust.
“He was full and frank about the fact he was selling those items off in Harborne at a much-reduced cost, so it is not suggested he was making anything like the retail value.”
Fergal Bloomer, defending, did not go into McCusker’s full mitigation, but said: “He has not been in trouble since 1999. He has not been in prison before.
“The background to this offence is quite complicated. There are entrenched issues around alcohol misuse and significant bereavement issues.
“There are lots of recovery programmes being looked at.”
McCusker must attend the crown court on March 24.
He was told that his case could be delayed further if the judge ordered the probation service to explore his background issues further in a pre-sentence report.