PRIVATELY educated James Shaw stole more than £28,600 from his employer so he could lavish money on his richer friends.

The 22-year-old stole around £1,000 a week from Ladbrokes's Newcastle and Stoke branches, where he was assistant manager, between January 24 and July 8 last year.

Shaw, of Wolsely Road, Wolstanton, placed 110 "pretend" bets, with payouts ranging from £44 to £865, before auditors were called in to investigate a drop in profits at the Stoke branch.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard yesterday as he neared the end of his fake bet spree, Shaw collected three payouts of £1,800 in one day.

Heather Chamberlin, prosecuting, said: "It seems that he worked out a scheme where he was able to pretend to place bets and collect the proceeds of those bets. His offending was detected because of a drop in profits.

"It was discovered there were large payments being made.

"He says the money has gone, that he has nothing to show for it. It was spent improving his lifestyle, squandered."

Shaw admitted one charge of theft, but said all the money had been spent on trips, nights out and treats for his friends.

Nicola Bell, defending, said: "There's little explanation for where the money went. He was privately educated and those he socialised with came from wealthier backgrounds. He felt they had for a long time spent their money on him.

"His family saw no evidence of the money at all. He says he was paying for meals out and transport, friends nights out and a weekend away in Blackpool."

Ms Bell said: "Thankfully this company was able to withstand his dishonesty. A smaller firm could have been crippled."

Shaw, described as "shy, quiet and unassuming", avoided a prison sentence because Judge Paul Glenn said it would "destroy" him. He received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, as well as 300 hours of unpaid work.

Judge Glenn said: "You were stealing several days a week. Your motivation was greed.

"This is a gross breach of trust. You are not being truthful about what happened with this money. This works out at over £1,000 a week; it went somewhere and you're not telling.

"As someone who has come from a good home and been taught good values I find that a great disappointment."