RAMSEY, Isle of Man (WGME) — Stuart Johnston, a former manager at a Spar store in Ramsey, has been sentenced after admitting to stealing £9,450 from his employer. Johnston, 56, was responsible for banking the store’s cash earnings at the post office between May and July 2022.
The theft came to light when Spar bosses noticed discrepancies in the store’s finances, prompting an investigation. Authorities discovered £8,550 in Johnston’s car during a search on August 1, 2022.
Johnston was arrested that day, and during court proceedings, he admitted to spending an additional £900 of the stolen money.
The court was informed that a cyber attack in 2021 had led to the company implementing a new system, which made it difficult to verify transactions online. As a result, a senior manager manually compared the deposits to the declared earnings, which raised suspicions about Johnston’s actions.
Johnston was suspended and arrested after denying any involvement in the theft during a meeting.
At Douglas Courthouse, Deemster Cook sentenced Johnston to a 12-month prison sentence, which was suspended for 18 months. The judge stated that the suspended sentence was intended to help Johnston avoid losing his employment and housing while he worked on resolving his gambling and alcohol issues.
However, Deemster Cook warned Johnston: “Do not think you are getting away with it, you are not.”
In addition to the suspended sentence, Johnston was ordered to pay £900 in compensation.
