Salesman stole phones to sell online

A PHONE salesman with a glowing reference from his former employer ended up stealing phones in his new job and selling them online.

Ray Browne, aged 23, of Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare, yesterday pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to the theft of four phones, but denied stealing two others.

He was employed in October 2010 at the O2 store on Daunt Square, Cork.

Store manager Niall Murphy said yesterday that discrepancies were noticed, and phones from the shop ended up for sale on a website operated by Browne.

Mr Murphy said Browne was using assumed names to sign up for 18-month contracts, getting a phone each time he set up such a contract.

But it later emerged that the contracts were cancelled on the day they were set up, in which event the phones should have been returned.

Inspector Pat Meaney told the court: “Mr Browne came to work with O2 with glowing references, which would lead me to believe he knew what he was doing.”

Judge Malone said there was reasonable doubt about the fate of the phones Browne denied taking, and gave him three months to repay the €1,500 balance of the phones and contracts or else face jail for the theft.