A FORMER soldier stole kit worth more than £1,000 from his employer, abusing the trust placed in him as a supervisor.

Jamie Walker, aged 25, of Linksview Crescent, off Newtown Road, Worcester, admitted stealing £1,185 of heat exchangers from the city’s Global Tube Fabrications when he appeared before magistrates on Tuesday.

Walker carried out the theft from the family-run company on December 21 last year after being appointed to a supervisor role, Worcester Magistrates Court heard.

Kerry Lovegrove, prosecuting, said Walker had been viewed ‘as a valued member of the team’ by the company, which has been running for the last 25 years.

Miss Lovegrove said on the day in question, which was when the company was about to close for the Christmas holidays, they received an urgent order for 28 heat exchangers.

She said: “Because they were low on staff and the regional delivery drivers weren’t working, he (Walker) agreed to deliver these heat exchangers.

“After returning to work after the Christmas break it transpired that these heat exchangers were not received by the company that had ordered them. £1,185 was the total value.”

Various investigations were launched involving CCTV footage and Walker was arrested and interviewed by police. He admitted he had stored the heat exhangers in a garage.

He also told police the company owed him £765 in overtime wages and was not prepared to give the exchangers back until this was sorted.

He even tried to take the heat exchangers to a scrap yard in Blackpole but said he ‘knew he had done wrong’.

Miss Lovegrove said: “He said ‘what I did was wrong. I will do whatever it takes to put it right’.”

He also admitted two further thefts at the same hearing - £4.55 of food belonging to M&S on March 12 and £4 of food belonging to M&S the day before.

Rebecca Connolly, defending, said although he was a supervisor he only had five people below him.

She said: “Custody is something you need to consider.”

Magistrates opted to have a full pre-sentence report before hearing full mitigation. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on March 28.

* We reported in February, 2007 how Walker was one of the last recruits to join the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, now part of the Mercian Regiment.