Callous worker, 56, who stole thousands of pounds from a Porsche garage while his boss was undergoing cancer treatment is ordered to pay back £60,000

A callous worker who stole thousands of pounds from a Porsche garage has been ordered to pay it back.

Scott McCurdy was the operations manager for Canford Classics - a family firm specialising in the restoration of vintage Porsches. 

While his boss was undergoing cancer treatment, McCurdy stole from the business. 

It was revealed that for almost the entire six years McCurdy worked for the Dorset-based business he ordered Porsche parts through the company and sold them on eBay. 

The 56-year-old stole almost £33,000 worth of parts from wholesalers and sold them for retail price, making about £68,000. But Dr Alan Drayson, the owner of Canford Classics, put the total loss to the company closer to £100,000.

McCurdy was only found out after he left the company in August 2021 and Dr Drayson noticed some anomalies and missing invoices during a stock-take.

Dr Drayson said that McCurdy, who he considered a 'key employee and friend', ramped up his thievery while he was in hospital receiving life-saving cancer treatment for myeloma. 

McCurdy admitted a charge of fraud by abuse of position. He escaped jail time and was given a suspended prison sentence at Bournemouth Crown Court.

At a Proceeds of Crime hearing it was determined that McCurdy must pay the company back £61,070.62 within three months or face a year in prison.

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'.

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

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

At his sentencing hearing Lucy Conroy, defending, said McCurdy was a man of previous good character and this behaviour was 'so out of character'.

She said he had admitted his guilt in police interview and had £32,000 in an account ready to recompense Dr Drayson.

She said: 'It was a bizarre set of offending. He is not somebody living the high life. He wasn't going on expensive holidays using his illgotten gains.. A number of the funds rested simply in a bank account. He is not a man who has frittered the money away.'

As well as receiving a two year prison sentence, suspended for two years, McCurdy was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work.