Box office manager who stole £24,000 walks free

A box office manager who helped steal £24,000 theatre takings, walked free from court today.

Duncan Gillies, 54. and his assistant spent more than a year at London's Comedy Theatre betraying their bosses with refunding, discounting and complimentary offer ruses.

London's Southwark Crown Court heard their downfall came when an auditor discovered a number of "negative cash payments" in the books.

Gillies, of Lawrie Park Road, Sydenham, south-east London, pleaded guilty to one charge of false accounting between July 27, 2006, and October 26, the following year.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael Gledhill QC told him: "I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself.

"You helped yourself to money paid to you as manager of that box office for tickets.

"The customers weren't the losers because ... they retained their tickets and saw the production they booked. It was your employer who did not see the money, you put it into your pocket."

He added while "such a flagrant breach of trust merits a prison sentence", he was able to suspend
the four months he was imposing for 18 months.

However, Gillies would also have to complete 120 hours unpaid work and pay £10,000 compensation.

Michael Atkinson, prosecuting, said the defendant's partner-in-crime, assistant box office manager Marke White-Brew, 36, was dealt with last year.

He, too, admitted false accounting and was given community and unpaid work orders.