A roofer who defrauded his Stockton employer left staff at the family business without their Christmas bonus. Christopher Learmount dishonestly obtained more than £2,700 worth of goods from builders' merchants, charging them to the company account.
The 36-year-old worked as a roofer at Vickers Construction from 17 March last year. He described his employer as 'amazing', Teesside Crown Court heard.
Fraud began within a fortnight of employment
Less than a fortnight into his employment, Learmount began exploiting his authorised trips to various builders' merchants in the company van to purchase goods that he either took home or concealed at other locations, Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said.
Ms Haigh said Learmount ordered materials as part of his job and was required to provide the address where the work was being carried out. Vickers Construction would then receive an invoice from the builders' merchants.
The court heard that on 4 April 2025, Learmount ordered £400 worth of lead for roofing and a mechanical clutch kit, falsely claiming the supplies were for the company. In total, the roofer dishonestly ordered £2,768 worth of stock across 11 separate transactions.
Employer confronted him
His employer confronted him over the fraud, but Learmount could not provide an explanation. "He was fumbling and said he'd put the items in his garage," Ms Haigh said.
The roofer returned some, but not all, of the items. He had sold some of the supplies on, the court heard. He was arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to fraud, which he carried out from March 25 to April 4, 2025. Officers then searched Learmount's home on Askham Close in Grove Hill, Middlesbrough, and recovered some guttering.
Impact on the business
The proprietor of Vickers Construction, which operates from Yarm Road, Stockton, stated that the fraud had a "significant and unexpected impact" on both the firm and himself personally. "For a small business, it's a lot of money," the owner explained in a statement. "It's resulted in staff not getting yearly bonuses at Christmas."
The owner revealed he "didn't understand why Learmount had stole from him". His company "relied heavily on trust", his statement outlined, "and processes have had to change - so everything goes through the office."
Defence cites drug problem
Learmount's defence barrister informed the court that the roofer had a drug problem, which resulted in a debt of approximately £5,000 at the time. The roofer had "received threats," Gary Wood said, which were reported to the police.
His offending was "bourne out of desperation" and Learmount had "described his employer as amazing'" during an interview with his probation officer, Mr Wood continued. Learmount has since checked in to a residential rehabilitation facility for six weeks "for cocaine addiction" and has now been clean for 10 weeks. The court heard that the former roofer has now started a rubbish removal and gardening business.
"He made arrangements to pay off his debts, and he's feeling very well in himself through not drinking, not taking drugs, and through honest living," his barrister added.
Judge Christopher Rafferty-Hemlin imposed a 21-week prison sentence on Learmount, suspended for 18 months. He must complete a rehabilitation programme overseen by the Probation Service, alongside 200 hours of unpaid work. Learmount was also instructed to pay £1,000 compensation to his former employer, at a rate of £100 per month.
