A FORMER employee of a Worcester pub who stole thousands from the safe of a city pub was encouraged to start saving towards paying compensation if he gets a job.
The sentencing of Jamie King, of Fortuna Way, Kempsey, has been delayed again after a court heard he had recently suffered mental health issues.
As previously reported the 32-year-old was employed as the unit manager at the Cardinal's Hat by the pub's landlord Nigel Smith.
King was in a position of responsibility to bank the takings but a bookkeeper found there were shortages between December 28, 2021, and February 23, 2022.
At magistrates court, King admitted stealing £3,350 but, when the case got to crown court in April, King claimed he had stolen hundreds and not thousands of pounds.
The case was adjourned for a trial of issue, known as a Newton hearing, to resolve that dispute.
King later accepted it was true he had stolen thousands.
In July, Judge Martin Jackson gave King the chance to prove himself by completing 85 outstanding hours from a previous community order, adjourning the case until Monday, (August 21).
At the start of the latest hearing Niall Skinner, defending, said: "Regrettably his mental health deteriorated.
"He did not approach his doctor, he has done that now.
"As a result he has not been able to do anything at this point."
The judge heard King had been signed off work earlier this month though Mr Skinner said the defendant now felt able to complete the hours.
"He believes he is getting better, he has job opportunities," Mr Skinner added as he applied for sentencing to be adjourned for King to complete the unpaid work.
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Sally Cairns, prosecuting, said it was a matter for the court whether to grant another adjournment but highlighted some of the earlier delays had been King's fault including denying how much money he really had stolen.
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Judge Jackson said: "Having given that opportunity once (for King to do unpaid work) it would be harsh to refuse an adjournment where there has been a medical reason."
The judge told King to attend his sentencing on October 20.
Judge Jackson told King, if he secured work in the coming weeks, he should be saving money to prove to the court at sentencing he was prepared to pay back Mr Smith.
"It is not an expectation or anything like that - it is a comment I make," Judge Jackson added.
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