Washington Sainsbury's security guard stole champagne, gin, and drinks worth £998 from employers
A Washington superstore security guard betrayed his position of trust to pinch £998 of stock from his employer during a three-week spree.
David Tindale, 40, stole champagne, gin, soft drinks and general groceries from Sainsbury’s at the Galleries shopping centre, a court heard. Tindale, of Brackenway, Albany, struck eight times between Wednesday, January 11, and Tuesday, January 31, 2023, before his bosses were tipped off.
Magistrates in South Tyneside heard mystery surrounded why it had taken so long for the allegations against him to reach court. He admitted his offences to his bosses after they were tipped off at the time, but police did not come calling until June of this year.
In between, he continued to work in security, often engaging with officers in the line of his duties. Prosecutor Liz Waby told magistrates: “You’ll note that these are matters of time age, going back to 2023.
“The store manager had been made aware that a security guard, this defendant, had been using his position to steal from the store. A witness had given information that there had been at least eight occasions when the defendant had used his position to take items without paying.
“An investigation was undertaken and there was CCTV footage. It didn’t go back further than January 2023. The defendant was interviewed about this two years ago and made full and frank admissions. The crown says that these offences are a breach of trust. It’s up to 36 weeks custody.”
Tindale, who has three previous convictions from four offences, pleaded guilty to eight counts of theft by an employee. Alastair Naismith, defending, said: “The starting point is a community order, but you may move outside of that because of how long it’s taken to deal with.
“I’m not sure there’s any explanation about why it’s taken so long. He says that when he was arrested, he was told there was a warrant out for him since 2023. He’s continued to work in security and has had contact with the police. There are mental health issues that will need to be explored.”
Magistrates adjourned the case for a mental health assessment and granted Tindale unconditional bail to be sentenced at the same court on Friday, August 22.