While caravan thefts remain commonplace across the UK, one man took a novel approach to this particular crime, by stealing parts from caravans at the Warwickshire retailer he worked at – before selling them online.
Craig Baker stole thousands in parts from Canwell Caravans, with the company employee taking parts from the firm’s newly-arrived tourers.
These included cooker knobs, locking nuts and fitted radios, with Mr Baker plundering Canwell Caravans stocks for some four years.
As the Tamworth Herald reports though, it was only after he upped the amount he was stealing from the company that his bosses grew suspicious.
And after noting that there was no evidence of a break-in, they quickly put two and two together and logged onto the well-known online auction site eBay.
Here they found many of the stolen items, which were being sold by the user ‘cameraman’ – an alias used by Mr Baker.
The 31-year-old was subsequently arrested and eventually confessed to stealing some £10,000 worth of accessories.
He received a four-month prison sentence which is suspended for two years along with 200 hours of community work and a £9,500 compensation bill payable to his former employers.
As the news provider reports, the presiding judge noted: “I have seen references suggesting this was out of character. This went on for a very long time, so it’s difficult to say it’s out of character.”
Caravan thefts meanwhile remain an important issue, with one tourer owner in Leicestershire recently reporting the loss of their vehicle.
