Drug-addict club steward escapes jail

4:23pm Thursday 22nd May 2008

A crack cocaine addict who "cleaned out" the social club where he was stand-in steward has escaped an immediate jail sentence.

Kevin Carolan stole more than £5,000 of cash, alcohol and cigarettes from the White Rose Club in Newmarket Street, Skipton on March 8 this year.

He fled to York and then to Bournemouth before giving himself up to the police, Bradford Crown Court heard today.

Carolan, 25, told officers he was addicted to crack and heroine and had been forced to steal from his employer to pay off a drugs debt.

Carolan, of St Stephen's Road, York, pleaded guilty at Skipton Magistrates' Court to theft and damaging a gaming machine.

The court heard that he was employed as a bar man at the club and had been working as a steward at the time of the offences.

He emptied a gaming machine, stole up to £4,000 from a safe and raided 40 bottles of spirits and liqueurs from the cellar, to a value of £1,000.

He then vanished over night and failed to return to work at the club.

The Crown Court heard that Carolan had previous convictions stretching back eight years for shop lifting , theft and deception.

He had been taking drugs since he was 14 and was instructed by his dealer to ransack the club to pay off money he owned him. The £300 he had left over was spent on crack cocaine.

Carolan was now attending drugs counselling in York and now free from heroine and crack cocaine, the court heard.

Judge Peter Benson said it was a serious breach of trust while Carolan was in charge of the social club.

He "cleaned out" the premises and fled with his spoils.

But he had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity after giving himself up to police officers in York.

Carolan was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years, coupled with a 12 month community order with supervision. He was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to cover the insurance excess payment to the White Rose Club.

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