Over £60,000 Seized From Former Deep Retail Manager

A former retail manager who stole £89,000 from The Deep to fund his gambling addiction has been ordered to pay back more than £60,000 to the charity.

Jason Metcalfe, 45, of Hamlyn Avenue, Hull, stole the cash from two ‘penny press’ machines and put fake refunds through the tills of the gift shop.

Last year, he was jailed for 27 months after pleading guilty to theft from employer and fraud by abuse of position.

Metcalfe was arrested on suspicion of theft from his employer in June 2016 following an investigation.

Our Asset Recovery Investigation Unit has since been working to identify any assets held by Metcalfe and found he had a half share in the marital home, a Toyota Avensis car, a Swarovski chess set valued at £500 and £10,450 in bank accounts.

At the confiscation hearing on Thursday, March 9, the court made a confiscation order ordering him to pay over the full value of all of his assets totalling £60,239 as compensation to The Deep.

Senior Financial Investigator Lorraine Baines said: “This is a satisfying result as we have managed to secure a substantial amount of assets. Unfortunately Metcalfe had spent a significant amount of the money he had stolen, but he jointly owned a house and had money from an inheritance in a bank account. When a business is the victim of crime they should not be overlooked as there are other victims, often further down the line.

“In this case these were innocent employees who did not meet their targets due to Metcalfe taking the profits and so they did not receive their hard-earned bonuses.

“It is important for people to understand that under the Proceeds of Crime Act the courts can take any assets from criminals whether or not they are directly linked to the stolen funds. They can confiscate equity in houses bought years before any offending and properties that have been inherited. Stealing from employers can put the criminal’s home at risk.”