William Hill Employee Avoids Jail for Theft

Steven Marren, who served as manager of William Hill’s Skipton betting parlour in North Yorkshire, England, pleaded guilty this week for charges of theft from his employer when it was discovered he had stolen nearly £13,000 from the betting shop.  He was questioned by investigators on June 25 after deposit money for the period between May 1 and June 15 was discovered missing, and it was Marren’s responsibility to make the deposits with the bank.  However, Marren claims he grew tired of waiting in lines at the bank, and instead chose to gamble the deposits online, which he ended up losing.  He was arrested on August 9 while on sick leave.

Initially Marren was taken before the Skipton Magistrates Court where he was handed a sentence of six months in prison, a suspension from work for 18 months, and required to work 180 hours of unpaid time.  Marren pled guilty to the charges and appeared truly remorseful when handed his sentence, which his lawyer Maria Temkow used to appeal the sentencing before the Bradford Crown Court.  At the appeal court Judge Jonathon Rose labeled Marren’s crime as “a repeated and determined breach of trust”, but decided to remove Marren’s imprisonment from the sentencing.  However, Judge Rose warned Marren he would be required to fulfill his voluntary work and failing to do so would mean the courts wouldn’t be lenient.

“If you fail, we will meet again. If we meet again, you will go to prison,” Judge Rose warned Marren.

Temkow later spoke after Judge Rose’s ruling, saying that Marren suffered from anxiety and depression.  He had failed to complete his university degree, and started working at William Hill in 2008 but had grown listless with his job and his life over the last year.  However, Temkow stressed Marren had taken full responsibility for his mistake by pleading guilty, and expressing genuine remorse about what he had done.

“It is very much a mistake in this young man’s life.”