A shop worker who was left traumatised after being held at gunpoint during an armed robbery stole almost £10,000 worth of lottery tickets within weeks.

David Tooth, who was a trusted employee, printed off the Camelot tickets and failed to pay for them over a two-year period.

The 33-year-old’s scam only came to light when a stock check uncovered a £49,000 discrepancy in the business accounts.

The owner of Blackwell Store and Post Office even called in Tooth to help carry out the audit but it soon became apparent that he was responsible for £9,839.50 worth of the theft.

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Earlier this month, Judge Timothy Stead gave Tooth 18-days to pay back the full amount to stand any chance of not spending Christmas in prison.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant had repaid the stolen money and sought counselling to address the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffered as a result of the armed robbery.

Judge Stead told the defendant that it was a highly unusual set of circumstances that meant he would avoid an immediate prison sentence.

He said: “You know it is a great disappointment to your family and to yourself to see you standing in the dock of a Crown Court.

“I entirely accept what is said on your behalf about that; I think you are sincerely remorseful for what you have done.

“You have shown that by your conduct and you seem to have impressed everybody who is dealing with you.

“I did tell you that if you paid back all of the money you wouldn’t be going to prison immediately and of course that is your position.”

Tooth, of Ravensdale Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to one charge of theft that happened between March 31, 2018, and January 24, 2020.

The Northern Echo:

Jane Waugh, mitigating, said the defendant started stealing the lottery tickets within weeks of having a gun pointed to his head during the armed robbery and was suffering from PTSD as a result.

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She added: “Once the offending came to light, he wrote the shop owner an apology for his actions and offered to pay the money back.

“At the time that offer wasn’t taken up but he has since repaid all the money that was stolen.”

Jon Harley, prosecuting, said an audit of the accounts discovered the missing money and Tooth was identified as being responsible for £9,839.50 worth of the theft.

Tooth was sentenced to a one-year community order as well as being ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £425 towards court costs.