He withdrew thousands of pounds in cash and put unauthorised purchases on a company credit cardLewis Collinson stole £35k from a fishing company(Image: Hull Live)

A thieving fisherman betrayed the trust of a fishing company by brazenly helping himself to thousands of pounds of cash, making unauthorised purchases and selling a company van.

Crafty and calculating Lewis Collinson plundered the money in a shameless scam totalling more than £35,000 after claiming that he was “left to his own devices” and had to “make decisions and manage the business as best he could”, Hull Crown Court heard.

Collinson, 38, of St Johns Avenue, Bridlington, admitted three offences of theft from Enterprise Fishing Ltd between October and November 2020. The case was originally listed for trial but he later pleaded guilty.

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Enterprise Fishing Ltd bought a company called Grimes Shellfish Ltd and, through this, came into contact with Collinson, who was a share fisherman. This was an arrangement where a “share” of any fishing catch was paid to the person after expenses for the trip were split between him and the company.

The company bought a boat and fitted it out but gave Collinson a credit card to pay for expenses as well as giving him a van to use. Problems came to light when it was discovered that Collinson had made cash withdrawal transactions in 2020 of £9,900 on October 16, £2,400 on October 29, £1,900 on November 3, £5,500 on November 10, £3,000 on November 19 and £4,000 on November 24, all in 2020.

These wrongful transactions totalled £26,700. There were also unauthorised payments on the card of £870 for a bed and £477 to a children’s nursery, making £1,347. The company van, valued at £7,000, had been sold, making the total theft £35,047.

Collinson had been authorised to pay amounts of up to £500 on the credit card but anything more than that should have been agreed with the company, said Mr Welch. The prosecution originally claimed that Collinson also stole valuable lobster pots that had been out at sea.

A small number of these were found at sea. The prosecution did not pursue this part of the case. During police interview, Collinson claimed that the cash withdrawals were used to buy things for the boat but he claimed that he could not remember what they were.

He had no receipts. He claimed that he had been authorised to make other payments on the credit card. A company boss later said that he was upset by the breach of trust shown by Collinson and this had affected its investments in the area.

Another company representative said that Collinson’s actions and the breach of trust damaged the company’s reputation in the area. Stress was caused by repeatedly having to attend court.

Money was used for things that they clearly should not have been. The stolen cash was a “critical business loss” and other assets had to be sold at reduced prices to cover the immediate loss.

It cost £1,000 to recover the van that Collinson sold. The problems caused took a “strong emotional toll” after the breakdown in the relationship with Collinson.

Michael Masson, mitigating, said that Collinson had to deal with incidents on the boat, including repairs, but he did not suggest that this was all that he paid for through the withdrawals. Collinson accepted that the cash withdrawal thefts were £26,700.

The other amounts of £1,347 and the £7,000 for the van were agreed. “The van was ultimately recovered at a cost of £1,000,” said Mr Masson. This reduced the actual total loss to £29,047.

“The defendant has always maintained that he was left to his own devices,” said Mr Masson. “The owners of this boat and the venture generally are based in Northern Ireland and Eire.

“He was left to make decisions and manage the business as best he could. He accepts that he failed in his efforts to manage that business and went further in that failing by using money dishonesty.”

Collinson was given a significant degree of trust but his difficult family circumstances led him to make errors of judgement. An original charge involving the theft of “£100,000-worth of lobster pots” was dropped.

This meant that there was a “dramatic reduction in the scope of the offending” claimed by the prosecution. “The defendant’s case was that he provided the location of the lobster pots,” said Mr Masson.

Collinson had no previous convictions but he had cautions for dissimilar matters. He had found and maintained other work.

Collinson was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours’ unpaid work. Confiscation proceedings will take place at a later date.