Mark Cranage, 43, stole £26,000 by issuing false parking tickets and pocketing customers’ cash
A gambling addict car park attendant will have to pay back just £1 despite stealing more than £26,000 from customers.
Mark Cranage, of Chaddesden, Derby, who used the cash to fund his habit, also escaped an immediate jail term even though he has previous convictions for stealing from an employee.
The father-of-three worked as the ‘man on the gate’ at a car park at retail park on the outskirts of Derby over a period of time spanning almost two years.
He issued false tickets to cash paying customers and pocketed some of the money for himself.
Now a proceeds of crime hearing in Derby has been told Cranage, 43, has no money so must pay back a ‘nominal’ £1.
Judge Ebraham Mooncey said: ‘This brings matters to an end but obviously, as far as the state is concerned, you have still benefited from your criminal activity to the tune of £26,355.
‘And they will be looking to collect it somehow in the future so bear that in mind.’
At his original hearing, in October, Derby Crown Court was told how Cranage was employed as a car parking attendant at the park and ride scheme at Pride Park for 21 months in 2013 and 2014.
Sarah Monro, prosecuting, said he worked 12 hour shifts ‘on good money’ but worked out a system where he could defraud his employer by issuing false tickets to cash paying customers rather than legitimate ones.
She said the payments would not come out of the ticketing system operation and not be recognised by the company’s computer system.
Ms Monro said the firm investigated that more money was being taken by other workers than Cranage and he was called in for an interview.
She said: ‘He knew he was going to be caught. He knew what was coming so he handed in his notice.’
Cranage pleaded guilty to fraudulently taking a total of £26,355 and Miss Monro said he had one previous conviction for theft from an employer in 2007 when he stole a safe from an establishment where he was working as a chef.
He committed a second similar offence in 2002 when he stole money from a garage where he was working as a cashier.
In 2007 the father-of-three stole a safe from an establishment where he was working as a chef. He committed a second similar offence in 2002 when he stole money from a garage where he was working as a cashier
The Proceeds of Crime Act allows the state to take money from people who have benefited from criminal activity.
Typically used in drugs cases, it can see offenders forced to sell property, cars or other items they own so that they don’t benefit from their ill-gotten gains.
But if investigations conclude that the offender has ‘no available assets,’ courts issue the nominal £1 repayment. If they come into money in the future the amount stolen can be claimed back.
Justin Ablott, mitigating at Derby Crown Court, sitting at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court, said his client ‘has relocated to Northamptonshire’ since his conviction in October and is only getting ‘infrequent labouring work’ with his brother’s firm.
Mitigating at the time of the conviction, Mr Ablott said: ‘This offence was financially-motivated but he was not living any extravagant or lavish lifestyle.
‘This offence is set against a long standing addiction to gambling and, at the time of this offence, his problem with gambling reared its ugly head again.
‘A good percentage of what he took was frittered away on gambling and he knew he was always going to get caught sooner or later.’