11AM: A former staffer at Menfriends in Christchurch has been sentenced to six months jail after pleading guilty to theft of nearly $20,000 in cash, food and stock from his employers over a ten-month period. Allan John Lilley was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court yesterday. He was employed at Menfriends from February till November 2004, and admitted stealing during the entire period. He testified that he did this to pay off other debts. It was also stated that he had been suffering depression due to lack of support from his family due to his 'lifestyle', and a childhood trauma that is subject to an ACC claim. Venue owner Stuart Yateman says Lilley was caught out after irregularities in his till work were noticed by other staff and management. Security cameras were installed which picked up his offending after only one shift. "Working in a business like Menfriends shows you a side of life that many people rarely get to see," he says. "This tends to mean that staff become close to and trusting of eachother. Many of our staff have been employed for lengthy periods and we have a culture of support and acceptance that Allan was welcomed into. He betrayed that culture from the very start of his employment." Menfriends is happy with the sentencing, which included an order for reparation to pay back the $19,000 worth of stolen property at the rate of $75 per week. "Now that the sentencing is over we have closure and the opportunity to move on," Yateman says. "Security measures that were taken in order to discover the theft will remain operational and in place."
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 25th February 2005 - 12:00pm