Harry Potter studios tour worker stole almost £37,000 of merchandise to sell online
3 January 2020, 20:20
An employee at the Harry Potter film studio tour has avoided jail after stealing £36,935 worth of merchandise and selling it on eBay.
Adam Hill, 36, was caught after colleagues noticed the items, including wands, ties, badges, key rings, he tried to hide under his work desk.
He then used eBay to advertise the memorabilia sold at The Making Of Harry Potter.
The bungling thief managed to sell 1,040 items, intially shipping them to buyers through the Post Office but later using his work mail room.
Hertfordshire Police searched Hill's Cambridgeshire home and seized Harry Potter ties, key rings and badges along with envelopes and packaging.
Another 12 parcels of merchandise ready to be posted to eBay buyers were found in his car.
Jan Muller of the CPS said: "In a significant breach of trust, Adam Hill had the audacity to steal thousands of pounds of merchandise from Warner Bros in plain sight of his work colleagues; but they reported him after growing suspicious of the items constantly piling up under his desk.
"Subsequent scrutiny of Hill's eBay and PayPal accounts revealed orders and payments received for goods which were found packaged up ready to send to buyers, giving him no option but to admit to his crimes."
Hill admitted theft by employee and was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and 250 hours unpaid work.
