A TRUSTED MANAGER BEGAN STEALING FROM HIS EMPLOYER

A TRUSTED MANAGER BEGAN STEALING FROM HIS EMPLOYERS TO
RAISE CASH TO PAY FOR HIS BROTHER’S DYING WISH, A COURT HEARD ON
TUESDAY.

GORDON BAKAL, 34, OF NEWPORT ROAD, LEYTON, USED HIS POSITION AS

PAINT DEPARTMENT MANAGER WITH A FIRM OF BUILDERS MERCHANTS TO OVER

ORDER-STOCK, SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT HEARD.

BAKAL WOULD PICK UP THE SURPLUS PAINT FROM THE SUPPLIERS ON HIS

WAY HOME AT THE WEEKEND AND SELL IT ON A MARKET STALL HE RAN ON

SUNDAYS, SAID MR CHARLES SIMPSON, PROSECUTING.

THE YEAR LONG SERIES OF THEFTS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE
FIRM’S INVOICES WERE EXAMINED AND A STOCK LOSS OF THOUSANDS OF
POUNDS WORTH OF PAINT WAS DISCOVERED.

BUT BAKAL, WHO PLEADED GUILTY TO STEALING #7,500 WORTH OF

PAINT FROM NICHOLLS AND CLARK OF SHOREDITCH HIGH STREET, SAID HE

NEEDED THE MONEY TO SUPPORT HIS DYING BROTHER.

DEFENCE COUNSEL MR GEOFFREY MOORE SAID THAT IN EARLY
1985 BAKAL’S BROTHER, PHILLIP, CAME TO HIM AND SAID HE WAS DYING.

‘HE ASKED MR BAKAL TO LOAN HIM MONEY SO HE COULD VISIT
FRIENDS IN AMERICA AND SOME OF HIS FAMILY IN ISRAEL.

‘
BAKAL ‘FELT UNABLE TO REFUSE A DYING MAN’S WISH’ AND
BEGAN STEALING FROM HIS EMPLOYERS TO PAY FOR THE TRIP SAID MR
MOORE.

BUT THE COURT HEARD WHEN INTERVIEWED BY POLICE OFFICERS
ABOUT THE THEFTS BAKAL SAID HE SPENT THE MONEY ON ‘MARKET
EXPENSES AND LIVING COSTS.

‘
SENTENCING BAKAL TO NINE MONTHS JAIL SUSPENDED FOR TWO
YEARS THE JUDGE, MR RECORDER CROWLEY, Q.

C, SAID: YOU HAVE SAVED
YOURSELF FROM GOING TO PRISON TODAY BECAUSE YOU STRAIGHT AWAY
TOLD THE POLICE ABOUT YOUR DISHONSETY.

‘
HE ADDED: ‘IT MAY BE TRUE YOU WERE HELPING YOUR DYING
BROTHER BY THESE THEFTS.

BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN A DECENT AND
GENUINE MOTIVE BEHIND WHAT YOU DID I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GIVEN
SOME HINT OF THAT TO THE POLICE.

‘
BAKAL, WHO HAD NO PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, WAS ALSO ORDERED TO PAY

HIS FORMER EMPLOYERS #3,500 COMPENSATION.

ENDS