Criminal Stole £500 From Ladbrokes to Gamble

This story was published more than 3 years ago.

A man has been convicted of stealing £500 at a Ladbrokes betting shop to feed his gambling addiction.

Defendant John McGuinness was caught on CCTV lifting the cash from the counter in October of last year. He chatted up the staff while nonchalantly lifting the money. McGuinness then ran out the back of the store, and was eventually tracked down by police.

McGuinness pleaded guilty to the crime, with his attorney saying: "He takes full responsibility and pled guilty at the earliest opportunity. This was not a premeditated act, but something on the spur of the moment. He advised shop staff this would be his last bet as he was losing all his money.

"He does accept he has a gambling problem and in this situation he was putting bets on and losing money and shop staff recognised that as well."

McGuinness was fined £333 for the crime. The cash stolen was not recovered.

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About the author

Therese Williams // UK Correspondent
Therese Williams
Therese is a fervent fan of slot machines and pub fruities, often trying her luck at some of the top online casinos. She covers news for Casino Listings with a focus on the UK and Europe. Therese studied arts and creative writing at university and has written for newspapers in the UK.
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lvblck
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29 March 2020 - 5:52pm
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That's quite saddening- when the addiction takes over so much that people go out in real life to convict crimes. I believe he was quite lucky to not have more serious repercussions after what he did.