Shropshire farm worker stole £45,000 from boss 'because he wasn't paid enough'
A farm worker decided he wasn't paid enough, so stole more than £45,000 from his employer by forging cheques.
Costel Teodorescu was unhappy with his wages at Sutton Hill Farm in Shifnal, so he stole the owner's cheque book and went on to fraudulently make out more than 30 cheques to himself, before being discovered.
Teodorescu worked at the farm between December 2015 and April this year, Telford Magistrates Court was told.
He left the farm earlier this year of his own accord.
It was afterwards that the owner of the farm was contacted by his bank and told about some "irregular activity"on his account.
A number of cheques linked to the farm had been cashed into Teodorescu's bank account, the court was told.
Abigail Hall, prosecuting, told the court 31 cheques had been used, adding: "The amounts of those cheques ranged from £655 to £3,200.
"In total, the amount paid into the defendant's bank account was £45,260."
Some of the dates on the cheques coincided with when he was still employed at the farm and some post-dated his employment there.
The owner of the farm called police and Teodorescu was arrested outside his home address in June.
He was then interviewed by police. Ms Hall said he told police that during his time working as a farmhand he felt he had been underpaid and had gone into the house on the farm intending to steal cash.
He found a chequebook in a drawer at the property and took that instead.
Ms Hall told the court that although the 28-year-old had admitted taking it, he said in interview that he thought the fraud had amounted to much less than £45,260.
Teodorescu, previously of High Street, Shrewsbury, told magistrates he had recently moved to an address in Whitchurch.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud by false representation, and another charge of burglary, during his appearance at Telford Magistrates Court.
The offences took place between January and June this year.
Sarah Cooper, representing Teodorescu, told magistrates that their sentencing powers were "clearly insufficient" and requested that they send the case to Shrewsbury Crown Court for sentence.
The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.
Teodorescu is due to be sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court on November 11.
He was given unconditional bail until the hearing.
