Manager at popular attraction jailed for stealing £89,000

Hull Crown Court heard Jason Metcalfe, 43, of Hamyln Avenue, Hull, stole money from two ‘penny press’ machines and put fake refunds through the tills of the gift shop.

At a previous hearing Metcalfe, who worked at the Deep for 13 years, admitted three counts of theft, seven counts of fraud and three counts of converting criminal property, with offences dating back to 2009.

His offences came to light after an internal investigation was launched in March 2015, when anomalies with the penny press takings and a large number of refunds were spotted.

He was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment.

Prosecuting Stephen Welch said: “Metcalfe said that he had a gambling problem and that he had gone through a very low period after the death of his mother. He started to gamble with his own money and The Deep’s.

“When his offending came to light, he told his employers he was very sorry, that he loved his job and had never done anything like this before.”

Mr Welch said while no jobs had been lost as a result of his dishonesty, changes in working practices were required that would otherwise not have been necessary and his former colleagues had felt betrayed.

Detective Sergeant Dharm Chatha said: “I would like to thank the team at The Deep for their co-operation and assistance in this complex investigation.

“Metcalfe’s offending cost him his job and now his liberty. Hopefully his case will serve as a warning to others that this kind of offending will always come to light and is taken very seriously.”

The Deep, which opened in 2002, is the third most popular paid-for visitor attraction in the county, attracting nearly 400,000 visitors a year.