Pressure at work and a strained family life were both factors which led to a chef taking almost £4,000 from his employers, a court was told.

Sabri Benhamada was putting in 12-hour days at the Courtyard in Castletown managing Mustang Sally’s and overseeing two other businesses for his employer, but as the strain took its toll he turned to drink and gambling for comfort.

As chef and catering manager, the court heard he was responsible for cashing up and handing over the daily takings.

When it came to light that £3,911 was missing, he told his employer a colleague, referred to in court as ’Mr James’, was the only other keyholder who had access.

As a result, Mr James was arrested by police and questioned by officers for more than seven hours.

The man’s flat was searched and he was not released until 1.25am the next day.

He remained on bail for a month, until early June, at which point Benhamada admitted he had taken the money and pointed the finger of suspicion at his colleague.

The 48-year-old, formerly of Shore Road, Port Erin, admitted two offences of theft and one charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice in May this year.

Defending him, advocate Stephen Wood said he was a ’gentleman of fragile mind’ who was having an increasing workload put on him, which had had a detrimental effect.

’He started off managing one establishment and ended up managing three,’ he said.

Describing Benhamada’s home life as ’disharmonious’, he added: ’This has led to him falling back on old, incorrect coping mechanisms: gambling and alcohol.

’It’s difficult for someone going through this to see the wood for the trees,’ said Mr Wood.

He emphasised Benhamada had confessed to the offences and had been a respectful and polite prisoner during his time in custody.

And he said that he had an excellent work ethic.

’He’s not a man who is going to sit idly by doing nothing,’ Mr Wood said. ’On his release, he wants to get work.’

Sentencing him to a total of one year in prison, Deemster Alastair Montgomerie told him his actions had been ’absolutely appalling’.

’You brought suspicion on a fellow worker and as a result of that he was arrested and spent seven hours in custody, his flat was searched, he was on police bail and under suspicion for the next month,’ he said.

Trust

’You have indicated that you are thoroughly ashamed of your actions and you should be: it was despicable.

’You abused the trust that the owners of the business placed on you, stealing nearly £4,000 over a period of time.’

But he noted Benhamada’s genuine remorse, his admissions, the fact that he was suffering from depression at the time and that his risk of reoffending was low.

He was senenced to five months’ imprisonment, to run concurrently for each of the two thefts, and seven months consecutively for perverting the course of justice.

He must also repay the money he stole, at a rate of £10 per week.