Suspended Camber arcade manager used employee’s keys to steal £11,000

Ben Cottam, 32, of Denham Way, Camber, was given a 16-month prison sentence suspended for two years, when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday (January 6).

According to police, he previously admitted burglary at Camber Sands Leisure Park on the morning of December 19, 2019, in which he stole £11,165 cash from the office safe.

Police said, at the time of the incident, he had been suspended over the disappearance of money from accounts.

During his suspension he had his work keys taken from him but, on the morning of December 19, 2019, he asked a fellow employee, who was unaware of his suspension, to lend him a set of keys, which Cottam then used to enter the office and remove cash from the safe, police said.

Cottam was given a court Compensation Order requiring him to repay the total amount to his former employers at an agreed rate of £300 per month, police added.

He was also order to carry out 200 hours of community service, 15 days rehabilitation activity, and to pay £450 court costs, police said.

PC Ciaran Gaymer said: “Cottam had just been suspended from his work at the leisure centre where he was arcade manager, over the disappearance of a sum of money from accounts and had his work keys taken from him. He then got a fellow employee, who was unaware of this, to lend him a set of site keys and used these to enter the office and remove the cash from the safe.

“However our enquiries, including access to office CCTV, clearly showed Cottam was the thief although he did not admit it, right up until his first court appearance last November when he suddenly pleaded guilty.”