A THIEF who stole thousands from a city pub safe has narrowly escaped jail but will have to pay the money back.

Jamie King stole £3,350 from the safe of the Cardinal's Hat pub when he was in the position of responsibility to bank the pub's takings. 

Pub landlord Nigel Smith had employed King as the unit manager but King was arrested after a bookkeeper found there were shortages between December 28, 2021, and February 23, 2022.

In a victim personal statement from the landlord of the Friar Street pub, read out at Worcester Magistrates Court at the original hearing, Mr Smith had said: "This is not something I expect from a member of staff, especially one who had such positive referrals from previous employers."

Worcester News: AVOIDS JAIL: Jamie King outside Worcester Magistrates CourtAVOIDS JAIL: Jamie King outside Worcester Magistrates Court (Image: James Connell/Newsquest)

Also at that hearing, Owen Beale, prosecuting, had told the court when challenged King had at first claimed to have banked the money. 

"There was a banking slip (he produced), it was not stamped," Mr Beale said. 

"He was in a position of responsibility.

"There was a high degree of trust breached - it was his job to bank it, he simply did not."

The 32-year-old's sentence has been delayed a number of times since King, of Fortuna Way, Kempsey, had previously admitted theft by employee and also breaching a community order given to him in July 2021.

Worcester News: PUB: Cardinal's HatPUB: Cardinal's Hat (Image: Newsquest)

King had even disputed how much he had taken before accepting it was thousands before an administrative Newton hearing that was scheduled to establish the facts.

Then, in July, Judge Martin Jackson gave King the chance to prove himself by completing 85 outstanding hours from a previous community order.

Worcester News: COURT: Jamie King was sentenced at Worcester Crown CourtCOURT: Jamie King was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court

King appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday, (December 4), when he was finally sentenced. 

He was given 10 months jail, suspended for a year. 

The judge also gave King a four-month electronically monitored curfew in force between the hours of 9pm and 6am every night. 

King was also told to pay the full amount he stole back to the landlord as well as £156 victim surcharge.