'I didn't realise I was stealing from the States too!'

Sunday 22 March 2020

A dash cam was used to catch a man stealing fuel from a work site to fill up his own van, evidence which was used to see him sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

Nuno Filipe, 38, took his van to his former employer's building site at the Strawberry Farm to use their fuel supply, which meant he was not only stealing, but also evading the States of Guernsey's duty of fuel.

He was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court on Thursday after entering two guilty pleas in February.

Filipe was only caught after his former employer - whom he had finished working for at the end of last year - realised their fuel bill was going up, and also noticed fuel had been used when the site was closed for two weeks over Christmas. After this, he set up a dash cam to watch the bowser which was full of red diesel - a fuel used for machinery which does not have any duty on it.

Soon after, on the 1 February, the camera caught Filipe driving up to the bowser, unlocking it using the combination, putting the hose into his van and then operating the manual pump. It was suspected he had filled the tank of his van up.

Pictured: Filipe was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court. 

The employer had no trouble recognising Filipe because he had worked with him until the end of 2019, and also recognised his personal vehicle. The court was told not even employed staff of the business were allowed to use the bowser for personal vehicles. 

After his arrest, the defendant gave full and frank interviews with Guernsey Police. There was only evidence he had used the bowser once, and the prosecution could not be sure how much fuel was used, and therefore how much duty was owed.

Advocate David Domaille said Filipe had been having troubles with his family in Portugal, which had spurred him into this "moment of madness". He hadn't considered he was stealing from the States as well. 

Pictured: Because Filipe was not paying for the fuel, he was evading the States' duty. 

Judge Graeme McKerrell acknowledged the fact the defendant had no previous convictions and also gave him credit for his early guilty pleas. 

"This may have been an aberration, but if you are going to do something serious as a first offence then you have come to getting full marks," he said, "theft from an employer in any circumstances cannot be tolerated.  

"I accept that you did not appreciate that you were not only taking from your employer but also the States of Guernsey."

In total, Filipe was sentenced to 80 hours of community service for both the theft, and the evasion of duty, but they were both to be served consecutively. He was also ordered to pay £200 of compensation to his former employer.

Pictured top: The fuel was stolen from a work site at the Strawberry Farm.