OZBEK: THIEVING BAR MANAGER SPARED JAIL

A bar manager who swindled his bosses out of nearly £25,000 to pay off his heavy gambling debts was spared jail today (Wed).

Gokham Ozbek, 34, repeatedly abused his position with the popular Benugo bar and restaurant at London’s famous National Film Theatre to line his own pockets.

On 10 different occasions, he stole bank credits from the venue, using the cash to placate loan sharks.

But he was arrested after he confessed everything to his superiors in May this year.

Ozbek was given and eight month sentence suspended for 18 months and told to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work at Inner London Crown Court this afternoon after he admitted theft.

Judge Mark Bishop also gave him 18 months to pay back £10,000 of the stolen money to Benugo, and said it was open to the bar chain to pursue him for the rest in the civil courts.

He told him: ‘I want to make it absolutely clear to you that abuse of a position of trust by an employee is regarded very seriously by the courts.

‘It is because of your actions in owning up and your remorse and previous good character that I think it is appropriate to suspend the sentence.

Paul Rattigan, prosecuting, said Ozbek cheated his bosses out of a total of £24,665 by making bank credits to himself.

The court heard he had previously owned a restaurant business, which collapsed owing ‘significant debts.’

He subsequently became involved in gambling, and plunged further into the red.

Ozbek ended up owing some £40,000 to people who put in him ‘in fear’, and who he felt he ‘had to repay.’

He managed to obtain £14,000 from family members to repay the debt, and stole the rest from his employers.

Graham Arnold, defending, said his client was very remorseful for what he had done, and pointed to the fact that he had admitted his actions to the bar before he was caught.

Ozbek, of (54) Bridge Avenue, Hanwell, West London, admitted theft by an employee between 21 April and7 May this year.

ENDS