A man who stole a mini JCB digger from his employer has been sentenced to community service.

Craig Stephen Gelling, of Ellerslie Gardens, was a foreman at Colas Limited at the time and took the digger from Balthane industrial estate.

The 30-year-old later tried to sell it to a company in the UK.

High Bailiff Jayne Hughes sentenced him to 200 hours of community service.

We previously reported that Colas staff contacted police on January 31 reporting that one of their diggers was missing.

On March 8, information was received that a JCB digger was due to be transported off the island by Manx Independent Carriers.

Police went with Colas staff to identify the digger and it was confirmed as the stolen one.

Gelling was arrested and told police that he had borrowed the digger but that he was not sure exactly when.

He said he had previously borrowed it on a number of occasions but had not asked this time.

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Gelling said it had remained on his land and he had forgotten about it.

He said when he heard about the police investigation, he panicked and decided to sell the digger.

He contacted a company and agreed to sell the digger to them for £6,500.

Gelling removed Colas stickers from the JCB but on March 3 had received a call from the company saying that they knew the digger belonged to them.

Gelling said that he had since returned the money to the buyer plus £400 costs which they had incurred when they travelled to view it.

He told police that it was the ’biggest mistake of his life’ and that he should have owned up.

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Defence advocate David Clegg said: ’It is fair to describe this as a rather sad case.

’Mr Gelling is a hard-working young man of previous good character.

’Following his arrest he did contact the company and resign. He was in tears admitting it to the police.

’It is my submission this is a man you have no worry of coming before the court again.

Mr Clegg went on to say that Gelling was involved with the Royal Agricultural Show, Young Farmers, Rushen Football Club and a local church.

’But for a bizarre series of decisions he is someone who would have continued through life as a credit to his community,’ said the advocate.

’The fact that one of the references is from the complainant, Colas, in a personal capacity, speaks extremely highly of this gentleman.’

Mrs Hughes told Gelling: ’This was a breach of trust. It seems had you held up your hands, nothing more would have been done.

’You removed the Colas stickers to avoid it being identified by the purchasers but you have done everything right since the commission of the offence.’

Gelling was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs.