A security guard has been dismissed from his post at a medicine distribution centre after he was caught stealing slimming injections worth almost £9,000.
Theft from Rejection Bin
Ricky Hopkins, 41, from Merthyr in south Wales, was caught taking 73 Mounjaro pens from a bin designated for rejected medication. The incident occurred on August 9 at the Cardiff distribution centre operated by pharmaceutical company Numan. Hopkins was employed there by the contractor SGD Group.
The total value of the weight-loss medication he attempted to steal was £8,869. Numan charges customers up to £359 for a one-month supply of the treatment. Hopkins, who weighed 20 stone, is also suspected of having stolen an unspecified quantity of a hair loss treatment called Minoxidil.
Legal Consequences and Recovery
Hopkins admitted to theft at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, which includes 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £199. A spokesperson for Numan confirmed that all the medication he tried to steal has been recovered.
Guard's Motivation and Regret
Hopkins stated that he has battled with his weight throughout his life and had hoped the so-called 'fat jabs' would help him lose some of it. He acknowledged making a 'monumental' mistake.
He explained his flawed justification, saying he believed the pens were destined for destruction. "They were all going into an incinerator anyway. I thought no one‘s going to miss them," he told The Sun. Despite this, he fully admitted he should not have taken them, describing his actions as a "stupid mistake" that he now deeply regrets.
The SGD Group confirmed that Hopkins was fired from his security role following the discovery of the theft.
