A MAN must pay more than £60,000 after he stole goods worth more than £30,000 from the classic Porsche garage at which he worked, including while the owner was in hospital for cancer treatment.

Scott McCurdy, 56, was operations manager at Canford Classics for nine years.

He would order goods using the company account and then would sell them online under his own name for profits.

This including items such as Porsche merchandise and parts for Macan and Cayenne models, which are not worked on at Canford Classics.

After McCurdy left the company, during a stock take a number of ‘unusual’ records were uncovered.

A socket was shown in stock priced at £222.83, while the normal price for the part is just £9.60.

Bournemouth Echo: McCurdy began stealing from the company two years after he joined the business in 2013.

Over a period of nearly six years, between November 2015 and July 2021, McCurdy stole £32,866 worth of goods.

The fraudulently ordered items were delivered to the offices and occasionally to his house, and during a police search of his home, a large amount of Porsche merchandise, accessories and memorabilia was found.

Business owner, Dr Alan Drayson, said McCurdy was not only a key employee, but also a friend.

In a victim impact statement, Dr Drayson said: “I was disgusted to discover that Scott had been stealing items from the company and selling them online for his private gain.

“It was even more sickening to discover that his thefts intensified during the periods I was in hospital having lifesaving cancer treatment, as well as during the pandemic which was a vulnerable time.”

Throughout this period, the business was left in a ‘very vulnerable position’, and left Dr Drayson feeling ‘deeply betrayed and hurt’.

“I feel betrayed not only by his stealing, but also by the fact that he spent so much company time administering the thefts,” Dr Drayson said.

“He took full advantage not only of the assumed trust within a small business, but also of my terminal illness.”

McCurdy appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court on Wednesday, May 8 where he was ordered to pay £61,070.62 within three months or face a year in prison under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

This followed his sentencing in September 2023 after he pleaded guilty to committing fraud through dishonest abuse of position thereby intending to make a gain for himself.

McCurdy was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, as well as community requirements and 250 hours of unpaid work.