A WAREHOUSE worker stole £1,400 worth of stock from his employer, a court heard.

Daryn Blewitt, 35, was working for the Turtle Beach computer equipment wholesaler at Lingfield Point, Darlington, when bosses became suspicious of him for driving a forklift truck when he should not have been.

Darlington Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday (Thursday, October 10) that when a stock check was carried out afterwards it revealed that two boxes containing 14 headphone sets worth a total of £1,400 had gone missing.

The boxes were found in nearby bushes and security guards caught Blewitt returning to look through the bushes later on.

He gave the security guards a false name when questioned, but admitted a charge of theft by employee in court.

Mitigating, Alan Meehan described Blewitt’s criminal record of 87 previous offences as “formidable” but said he had stayed out of trouble since June last year after getting married.

Mr Meehan added that Blewitt, of Pendleton Road, Darlington, had also recently attended hospital after his wife became concerned about his mental state, and his GP doubled his dose of anti-depressants.

Magistrates adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report and Blewitt is due back in court on October 31.