Workers stole £23k from corner shop before bungled burglary

Ben Tyler, of Pelham Road, and John Mozley, of Ringway Close, appeared at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to theft by an employee and conspiracy to commit burglary.

Prosecuting, Mr Gorst, told the court that Mozley, 55, was the manager of Today’s Extra on Thelwall New Road, and Tyler, 35, was a member of staff working behind the tills when the pair began stealing from the shop.

The court heard that the 55-year-old manager would insist upon cashing up each day, not letting any other member of staff do so, and would pocket cash handed to him by customers instead of putting it in the tills.

Tyler, who had accumulated a significant drug debt due to his cocaine addiction, was friends with Mozley at the time of the offence and confided in him about his debt.

The pair worked at Today's Extra in Grappenhall (Image: Google Maps)

Mozley told Tyler he could get him £500 and needed him to help cover up the CCTV cameras in the shop to do so, as well as put up a sign in the shop saying they were only accepting cash.

Over the course of more than a year, between March 21 2022 and July 9 2023, the court heard that the pair stole a total of around £8,500 from the corner shop, which is owned by Ron Ramsdens Limited.

When Mozley wanted to leave the shop and work elsewhere, he began planning a burglary with Tyler to cover up the shortfalls in cash, as well as planning to steal alcohol and cigarettes.

The court heard that the duo initially planned to burgle the corner shop but were caught when a nearby resident heard the attempted break in and saw a man, Tyler, wearing a black woolly hat who then left.

Upon inspecting the property, Cheshire Police found a space at the back of the building, which was later found to have Tyler’s DNA on it, who they questioned but did not arrest.

Phone records show that Tyler messaged Mozley to say he couldn’t get into the shop, and both continued to plan the burglary.

After conspiring to burgle the shop for 20 days, cables for the security alarms were cut by the pair who lied to other members of staff to ensure that the area manager and alarm company were not told.

Mozley and Tyler broke into the shop in June 2023, pulling CCTV cameras off the wall in the process and using keys to access the safes inside the building.

John Mozley was the manager at the shop (Image: Cheshire Police)

A total of £11,461.19 in cash was stolen from the shop, as well as £966.31 worth of alcohol and £2,406.10 worth of cigarettes.

Mr Gorst told the court that after the burglary, Mozley handed in his resignation, but continued to steal from the shop while working through his notice.

Police investigating the burglary believed that ‘inside knowledge’ had been used to gain access to the property and the pair were later arrested.

A total of £23,327.60 was stolen from the corner shop by the pair, which impacted Rons Ramsden Limited ‘not only financially but also through a loss of customers’.

Defending Mozley, Phillip Tully told the court that the 55-year-old accepts the ‘seriousness’ of the offences.

“The reason behind it was a then friendship with Tyler and he was aware that Tyler owed a debt to a third party, and it was going towards paying that debt,” said Mr Tully.

“He accepts that he did gain from some of the cash that was taken during the theft and the burglary.

“To his credit, he is someone with a very good work record within the retail business.”

Defending Tyler, Ms Priestley told the court that the 35-year-old began using cocaine and cannabis recreationally 10 years ago but had become addicted.

The court heard that Tyler, who previously worked with young people at Warrington Borough Council’s Youth Service, had taken steps to stop taking drugs in the past month.

Ben Tyler was addicted to cocaine and cannabis at the time of the offence (Image: Cheshire Police)

“These shops are invaluable to the local community, to those who live locally and to the young persons who work there,” said His Honour Judge Stephen Everett during his sentencing remarks.

Denial 'laughable' says judge

“What is clear to me is that you decided to pay for your habits out of the pockets of your employers.”

Judge Everett addressed the defendants separately when passing sentence, telling Mozley that he ‘should have been more frank’ with the probation service about his drug use.

“Your denial of using cocaine would be laughable is this was humorous which, of course, it isn’t,” he said.

“As a burglary of a non-dwelling, this is as serious as I have seen for a long time.”

Mozley, who has four previous convictions for four offences, was sentenced to 30 months immediate imprisonment.

“You stole over a period of time and, sadly, it looked to me as if you revelled in it, which is truly despicable,” Judge Everett told Tyler.

“I’m astonished that someone who gained a university degree, came from a good background and worked as a person supporting young people in crime should find himself in that position.

“You’re someone who really ought to have known better.”

Tyler, who has one previous conviction from 2013, was sentenced to 24 months immediate imprisonment.