A flooring salesman has been jailed for stealing customers' money, including after he was sacked.

Carlisle Magistrates' Court was told that Gary Carruthers, 28, had started stealing money from the Carlisle branch of Carpet Ways almost immediately after getting a job as a salesman.

He admitted three charges of theft between July 4 and 13, taking payments of £355, £80 and £60 rather than putting the money in the till.

However prosecutor Pam Ward told magistrates that the theft continued after he was dismissed by the four store chain as Carruthers continued with home visits to a customer and took cash deposits from him.

She told the court that Carruthers was on a suspended sentence for domestic violence and had already breached it once by making off from a taxi without paying.

William Mark-Bell, defending, said Carruthers had a history of depression, which appeared to have been triggered again because of his father's threats to kick him out of the family home.

Magistrates decided to activate the suspended sentence, saying that the latest offence had been a serious breach of trust and sentenced him to 18 weeks in jail.

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