NHS worker stole £14K of equipment Court hears 50-year-old sold unused items from hospital store room to keep his head‘above water’
An NHS worker who stole almost £14,000 in computer equipment from Stirling Community Hospital has escaped a jail term.
David Gillies, who had worked for the NHS for 26 years, admitted a charge on indictment of thieving electronic equipment from the hospital at Livilands Gate to the value of £13,900 between July 1 and December 12, 2019.
The 50-year-old’s lawyer told Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday that his client fully appreciated the crime had been a breach of trust, adding that it had brought him shame and embarrassment.
The court was told that the “unused” computer items had come from a stock room.
Gillies had worked with his NHS colleagues for a long time and his behaviour had undermined their trust.
The father of two however had got into financial difficulties following the separation from his wife in 2016.
His lawyer further pointed out Gillies had been the main breadwinner and all financial arrangements had been in his name.
He had left the family home, but was still supporting his family.
The social work report prepared for the court said Gillies had not been coping well with debt. The accused had taken the items to keep himself financially “above water” and “hold the family together following separation”.
The thefts had started at a low level but quickly escalated, the lawyer pointed out.
Gillies had taken the items “to premises a bit like a pawnbroker where you get money for them”.
However, the items were not sold immediately and Gillies “got money from another source to cover” meantime.
The agent said the offence started with “very small amounts” adding: “We’re talking £10 here and there, but it all added up”. The crime had come to light by chance and Gillies had done wrong having “taken advantage of the situation and his position”.
He is now unemployed and looking for work.
Sheriff Hamilton told Gillies, of Falkirk, that “taking valuable resources” from the NHS was “completely unacceptable”.
Since Gillies was a first offender however he refrained from imposing a custodial term.
He sentenced him to a Community Payback Order for 235 hours’ unpaid work to be completed in two years and further imposed a Restriction of Liberty Order confining Gillies to his home for six months from 8pm to 8am each day.