A MAN who stole thousands of pounds from the hotel he was working for after telling colleagues he would use the money to travel the world has been jailed for four months.

Tyrone Petit, 29, of no fixed address, appeared at court on Friday where he admitted a charge of theft from employer.

The court heard how Petit was employed as the assistant manager at Inn on the Square hotel in Keswick in September 2016. Part of his duties included banking the hotel’s takings on a daily basis.

However, in late October, colleagues began noticing the money was not being banked. They approached Petit who made excuses, saying he would do it soon.

On the morning of October 26, a colleague of Petit’s came to start their shift only to find the safe key was missing. When a spare was eventually found it was discovered that the contents of the safe was gone.

Numerous unsuccessful attempts were made to call Petit.

The theft was investigated with CCTV footage from the hotel showing Petit leaving with a hold-all taken from the safe.

Petit had called a taxi, paying a £350 fare to get to Glasgow where he headed to a casino. After gambling, he boarded a ferry to Belfast where his spending spree continued.

He spent £400 on a four-day stay at a hotel in the city, spending a further £375 on a Hugo Boss watch and £307 on new glasses. He also deposited £3,000 in his own bank account.

He then headed to Dublin, spending £400 on a three-day stay at a city centre hotel.

Petit was arrested on a European Arrest Warrant and extradited from Ireland to Workington on November 16. 

He still had £6,000 in cash, along with the watch he had purchased. He also had £1,075 he had won whilst gambling with the stolen money.

In interview, Petit made full admissions but said the decision to steal the money was not pre-planned - it was on the spur of the moment. 

However, the court heard how Petit had previously “joked” about stealing the safe money and using it to travel the world.

Petit also told officers he had given some money to the British Heart Foundation and handed some to homeless people.

Detective Constable Paul Hulse of Cumbria Constabulary said: “Petit allowed the money in the safe to accumulate, bided his time and then fled with every penny he could.

“Despite his claims that he had intended to give the money to good causes, he squandered much of it as soon as he could, beginning with a £375 taxi journey to Glasgow. He then booked himself into expensive, city-centre hotels and treated himself to a watch.

“However, officers were able to work effectively with colleagues in the Republic of Ireland to trace Petit, arrest him and get him back to Cumbria where he has now been held accountable for his actions.”

Petit was jailed for four months and ordered to pay £9,000 in compensation.