GAMBLING addict and Sainsbury’s employee Adam Stuyvesant swindled £2,600 from the tills to feed his love of betting.

Stuyvesant, 21, of Skew-bridge Close, Royal Wootton Bassett, admitted a charge of theft by employee last month.

He appeared for sentencing at North West Wiltshire Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where he was given a community order.

Roxanne Cole, prosecuting, told the court that Stuy-vesant had been working at the Royal Wootton Bassett branch of Sainsbury’s part-time, operating the tills.

Over the course of a two- year period he had been stealing cash to feed his habit. She said managers at the store had noticed the tills being down and suspected Stuyvesant.

They set traps and monitored him on CCTV.

She said: “He was eventually called in to the manager’s office on January 27 and asked if he knew why he was there.

“He immediately replied ‘Till loss’ and held his hands up.

“He went on to tell them he had got himself into trouble.”

Defending, Gordon Hotson said Stuyvesant had faced up to his problems and was dealing with them.

He said: “This young man was of previous good character. He found himself increasingly in the grip of an illness, an addiction, just as dangerous and damaging as addictions to drugs or alcohol.

“He was unable to sustain his addiction through his own means as he could only do two shifts a week.

“He borrowed and found himself unable to pay back and it was then he turned to theft from his employer.”

Mr Hotson said since his arrest he had signed up to Gamblers Anonymous and had gone 115 days without a bet. He has also started seeing a counsellor.

He also revealed Sains-bury’s is taking civil action to recover the £2,600 he stole and £1,186.30 for the costs of its investigation.

Magistrates decided he should not be sent to prison as he had taken steps to tackle his issues.

Magistrate Jennifer Swift said: “The offence is so serious that we could have imposed a custodial sentence and we have considered it.

“But because of the steps you have taken and your previous good character and honesty when you were found out, we will gve you a community order.”

He was ordered to pay back the £2,600 and must carry out 150 hours community service.