Man who 'owed money to a loan shark' stole from home to make payments after losing his job
A man is set to be sentenced at the end of this month after he pleaded guilty to theft from the house he was helping to look after while the owners were on holiday.
Joe David Walker, 26, of Trinity View, Ketley Bank, in Telford, admitted stealing jewellery and power tools from the home in the town between September 23 and October 7, 2023.
He had been charged with an offence of theft in a dwelling other than an automatic machine or meter.
Telford Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday that Walker owed £2,500 to a "loan shark" and had lost his job and his ability to keep up repayments. He told the court in his own defence that it was the only way he could think of to pay the money.
Prosecutor Mrs Sharan Gill said Walker is known to the people he thieved from through being a partner of a member of the family. He was looking after the property when they went on holiday.
