A FORMER serviceman, who turned to crime to fund a gambling addiction on leaving the forces, was today (Thursday March 5) jailed for 16 months.

Christian Holliday, who saw service in both Iraq and Afghanistan during a decade in the Army, found work as a security guard collecting cash takings from shops, late in 2013, following his return to Civvy Street.

But Durham Crown Court heard that within six months he began stealing from cash collected on his rounds in the North-East and North Yorkshire to help meet his "spiralling" gambling habit.

By the time his actions came to light, in October, Holliday had taken a total of £29,806 over seven months last year.

He admitted stealing from a dozen cash collections, and was able to pay back £1,736, leaving his former employer, Newcastle-based security company Loomis, £28,076 out of pocket.

Victoria Lamballe, prosecuting, said suspicions arose after Sainsbury’s complained of shortages in money collected from several stores in the region, including £5,000 from its premises in Horden, County Durham.

Inquiries revealed the cash in question was taken when Holliday was alone on collections.

He “came clean” and said he either scanned one cash bag less than collected, or simply tore open bags and removed money, before resealing them with tape in the back of his van.

Miss Lamballe said, apart from Sainsbury's stores, money also taken from cash collections from a McColl’s newsagents, a Newcastle restaurant, Betty’s tea rooms in Northallerton, Greggs’ bakery branches in Chester-le-Street and Thirsk, plus a Peterlee service station.

Holliday, 29, of Leach Grove, Darlington, admitted six counts of theft and asked for six further offences to be considered.

Carl Swift, mitigating, told the court: “I don’t think anyone would have anticipated that Mr Holliday, during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he risked his life on a daily basis, would have ultimately found his way to a crown court awaiting sentence for such serious offences.”

Mr Swift said a medical report indicated that the defendant was suffering stress, and appeared to have turned to gambling, not for pleasure, but as a “coping mechanism”, on his discharge from the Army.

“He doesn’t seek to use it as an excuse, but as an explanation how someone of such positive good character, in terms of his Army service and experience, would commit the offences he did.”

Mr Swift added that Holliday’s family remains supportive and he hopes to undergo further treatment to overcome his stress issues.

Jailing him, however, Judge Simon Hickey said, despite Holliday’s “impeccable character” and apparent “genuine remorse”, he could not overlook such a serious breach of trust.