Betting shop boss faked armed robbery after getting thousands of pounds into debt

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Karl Swift pretended he had been robbed at a William Hill in Wigan
But it later emerged he was alone in the shop when the 'raid' took place
He then confessed he made up the incident after amassing gambling debts
The 25-year-old had hidden the fact he'd lost £2,084 at a casino
He admitted theft, fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice
Swift, from Orrell, near Wigan, jailed for 12 months this week

PUBLISHED: 06:43 EST, 21 March 2014 | UPDATED: 12:09 EST, 21 March 2014

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A betting shop boss faked an armed robbery at his workplace after he got himself into thousands of pounds of debt - due to a secret addiction to gambling.

Karl Swift, 25, pretended he had been robbed at knife-point at the William Hill bookmakers where he worked in Goose Green, Wigan after he gambled £2,084 away at a casino.

But CCTV footage was examined and showed Swift alone in the betting shop and bending down behind the counter to switch off the security cameras.

Karl Swift, 25, faked a robbery at the William Hill where he worked in Wigan after getting into 'desperate financial straits'

He said he was 'desperate financial straits' and had only become addicted to gambling after starting work in the betting industry four years earlier.

At Liverpool Crown Court this week, Swift, from Orrell, near Wigan pleaded guilty to theft, fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice and was jailed for 12 months.

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He has been attending counselling sessions with Gamblers Anonymous, the court heard.

Police were called in last September after duty manager Swift falsely claimed that he had been held up at knife-point just after he arrived at the William Hill bookie’s.

Swift, from Orrell, near Wigan, said he had only become addicted to gambling after starting work in the betting industry four years earlier

Swift claimed there had been an armed robbery at the William Hill in Goose Green, Wigan. But CCTV showed he was there alone

He said £5,744 was taken and claimed the 'raider' had turned off the shop’s CCTV system and had broken into the safe.

But, as well as the incriminating CCTV footage, Swift’s boss saw an unusual sequence of 31 bets the previous day totaling £3,660.

Further inquiries revealed Swift himself had placed those bets - of which only seven were successful - and the stakes and not been paid for.

In mitigation, defence lawyer Martyn Walsh said Swift was described as 'good worker' but had lost £2,084 in a casino.

Mr Walsh added: 'He was a very desperate man who had reached the end of the road.'

Judge, Mr Recorder Roderick Carus QC, told him: 'These were were serious offences and you were in a position of trust. You have lost your reputation, your job and now your liberty.'

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Terry, Hastings, United Kingdom, 16 hours ago

Yet a bloke robs the bank he works at for over 200k and gets a suspended sentence. Judges are raving mad loonies

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Sapper764, Epsom, United Kingdom, 17 hours ago

If he was the boss, surely he could faked a win or two rather than faking a robbery.

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mccawpa, belfast, 1 day ago

12 months for £2k? Yey someone punched a vunerable man, which killed him, but got half the time inside? Justice in this country is sick. Yes he should have got prison time but shows you that big business has more clout when it comes to pressing for a heavy sentence for their appeared losses.