Found out on e-bay
FACTORY worker Jonathan Hobbs stole 40 bottles of Nicogel cigarette replacement gel when he worked for the company in Littleport, and then advertised them on the e-bay internet sales site. But the owner of Nicogel, biochemist John Walters, discovered that
FACTORY worker Jonathan Hobbs stole 40 bottles of Nicogel cigarette replacement gel when he worked for the company in Littleport, and then advertised them on the e-bay internet sales site.
But the owner of Nicogel, biochemist John Walters, discovered that Hobbs was selling the gel at half the retail price, and alerted the police.
At Ely courthouse on Wednesday, 18-year-old Hobbs, of Croft Park Road, Littleport, admitted stealing 40 bottles of the gel, worth £140, on or about December 1 last year.
"This was theft by an employee, he was employed by a local employment agency to work at Nicogel for about three weeks in November and December last year," said prosecutor Yetunde Fawehinmi.
Mr Walters' company manufactured the cigarette replacement gel at the Saxon Business Park in Littleport, she said. He discovered his product for sale on e-bay priced £5, when they normally retail at £9.99.
Inquiries showed that Johnny Hobbs of Littleport was the vendor, and Mr Walters suspected that the product had been stolen from his factory.
Most Read
- 1 See inside this £1.7m country house with its own lake near Ely
- 2 EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt ‘to work at restaurant in Cambridgeshire’
- 3 Village toasts Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a memorable touch
- 4 Weekend closure for A142 for bridge works between Ely and Chatteris
- 5 Inside the £165,000 luxury river boat for sale in the Fens
- 6 Princess Anne unveils new 'national treasure' Jubilee table in Ely
- 7 'Gas engineer' reportedly stole two phones and a purse in Haddenham
- 8 Coach shocked as girls football idea goes from strength to strength
- 9 Superintendent dons rainbow helmet against hate crime on #IDAHOBIT
- 10 ‘If it wasn’t for NICU I possibly wouldn’t be here today’ - Darren fundraising for Addenbrooke's
When arrested, Hobbs, admitted theft, saying: "They had so many bottles, they would not miss a few." He had not planned the theft, it was opportunistic, and he regretted his actions.
"He realises this has scuppered his future with the agency," said solicitor Jacqui Baldwin. "He has been extremely tearful and remorseful."
Hobbs was ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid community work and pay £140 compensation and £50 costs.