A CHEF stole thousands of pounds worth of meat and sold it to his friends at knock-down prices to fund a gambling addiction, a court heard.

Graham Scott was hooked on gaming machines and roulette tables at the height of his thieving from a country pub in North Yorkshire.

Scott worked as head chef and had control over stock during his four years at the Bay Horse in Hutton Rudby, near Northallerton.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the usual procedure was for Scott to order from a wholesaler for it to be delivered the following day.

But over an 18-month period, the 48-year-old would collect the meat himself on his days off and take it to his home on Teesside.

The court was told Scott got away with the thefts for so long because licensee and co-owner Jill Butterworth gave him so much trust.

Scott, a married father, from Ingleby Barwick, near Stockton, had worked in the catering trade for 30 years and had never been in trouble before.

His barrister, Martina Connolly, said Scott's betting started off as "relatively harmless gambling" during his shifts at work.

"That soon escalated and he found himself almost invariably going to local betting shops and started to get involved with fruit machines and roulette tables," she added.

"By 2006, he found himself almost incapable of keeping up the amount of money he needed to expend on this habit, and concedes it became easy for him to do what he did."

Prosecutor Peter Sabiston said there were 39 invoices between January 2006 and last July which showed meat had been collected rather than delivered.

Mr Sabiston said the values of the food ranged from £100 to £300 a time, and the total stolen amounted to just over £10,000.

The court heard that the pub was left in financial trouble as a result of plunging profits, and the owners had to go to the bank to keep the business going.

Scott, of Pembroke Drive, admitted theft and was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, by Judge George Moorhouse, who also ordered him to undergo 18 months of probation service supervision.

Miss Connolly said: "If there is one thing he is aware of it is just how much shame and disgrace he has brought upon himself with these offences."