Employees sentenced after 74 thefts from The Range

Two former employees of The Range have been sentenced after a nine-month stealing spree from the store they worked in.

Liam Snook, 34, of Blackfriars Way, Salisbury, and Sarah Brooks, 34, of Coronation Road, Durrington, were both given suspended sentences after stealing from the Salisbury store they worked in 74 times.

Between May 2023 and January 2024 the pair, who shared lifts together to and from work, stole an estimated £8,000 of goods.

Snook, who was a sales manager, was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years. Brooks, a sales assistant who started just weeks before the thefts began, was handed a community order.

The order means Brooks will have to complete 167 hours of unpaid work within the next year.

In addition to his suspended imprisonment, Snook was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

Salisbury Magistrates' Court heard on Monday how Snook had occasionally stolen stock alone, but the majority of thefts had taken place while the pair were working together.

Upon her arrest, Brooks told police she and Snook had spoken about how easy it would be to steal from the shop as they commuted together.

From then on, Brooks would steal from the store every Monday and Thursday throughout her shift and just before Snook closed up for the nights. Both would go back inside once all employees has left to to steal.

A new employee realised what may be happening after noticing Snook let all the staff leave before going back inside without a reason to do so, which was against the company policy on locking up the shop alone.

Both were suspended on 30 January after they were caught by The Range's area loss prevention manager, with some of the losses recouped through deductions from their pay. They have also been ordered by the court to pay compensation of £2,866 each.

Local crime investigator Ange Dowsett described the thefts as calculated and high-value, and added the pair had "abused their trusted positions as employees".

"Their criminality was motivated, lengthy and without remorse and the CCTV footage shows a jubilant, planned mood when the pair were carrying out the theft," she said.

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