Coronavirus: Man jailed after stealing £30,000 of PPE to sell on eBay
Written by News on 02/06/2020
A man has been jailed for stealing £30,000 of personal protective equipment (PPE) and trying to sell it on eBay during the coronavirus crisis.
Respirators, piles of hazmat suits and boxes of gloves were seized when police raided Gary Edwards’s home.
The 40-year-old, from Rock Ferry, Wirral, stole the gear from his company, which supplies PPE to the pharmaceutical and building trade.
Police seized the stolen PPE at an address in Bromborough last month after a tip-off.
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Edwards pleaded guilty to theft at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday and was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
The judge told Edwards his actions were particularly callous as the theft happened at a time when the NHS was “crying out” for such equipment.
Detective Inspector Paul Parry, from Merseyside Police, said: “Theft from an employer at any time would be considered deplorable but I think in the current climate the public are acutely aware of the importance of PPE getting to the people who need it most.
“I hope that Edwards will use the time behind bars to reflect on his actions.”
This week until Thursday, Dermot Murnaghan will be hosting After the Pandemic: Our New World – a series of special live programmes about what our world will be like once the pandemic is over.
We’ll be joined by some of the biggest names from the worlds of culture, politics, economics, science and technology. And you can take part too.
If you’d like to be in our virtual audience – from your own home – and put questions to the experts, email afterthepandemic@sky.uk
(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Man jailed after stealing £30,000 of PPE to sell on eBay
