A GAMBLING addict has been given one last roll of the dice to sort his life out after stealing more than £4,500 from the restaurant he managed.

Peter Rogers was captured on CCTV by the owner of the Al Forno restaurant in Middlesbrough letting himself into the building before opening the safe and helping himself to its contents.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 36-year-old had two previous convictions for stealing from his employer from 2015 when he stole cash while working for two small hotels.

Nigel Soppitt, prosecuting, said the owner of the restaurant had been left devastated by the breach of trust and contemplated selling the business as a result of the theft.

He said: "On September 30 the defendant failed to turn up for work and when checks were made it was discovered that £4,620 was missing. The owner checked CCTV and knew that his manager entered the premises after closing time, using a key, he used the code for the alarm before opening the safe and taking the cash out."

Mr Soppitt told the judge that the owner had suffered a 'significant' loss and the restaurant was 'rudderless' for a time as a result of the theft and the money could make the difference between the business being profitable over the year or not.

Rogers, of Bell Vue Road, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft from employer.

In mitigation, James Fenney, said his client had been offered a residential course to tackle his gambling addiction and told the judge that he would be able to pay back the stolen money within 12 months.

Judge Howard Crowson passed a 20 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

He said: "It was clearly significant in terms of the impact it had on the business and the owner because he trusted you and so did his staff – the manager they trusted in that role was no longer there because he had taken the money."

Rogers was also ordered to repay the stolen money within 12 months.