A trusted worker brazenly stole £30,000 worth of PPE from his employers and sold it on Ebay - despite desperate medics appealing for such equipment.

Gary Edwards’ dishonesty - which led to some colleagues being made redundant - spanned two and a half years and continued despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Frantic NHS staff issued appeals for protective personal equipment during the current Coronavirus crisis and his public spirited employers wanted to donate some but then found that it was missing.

Meanwhile Edwards was selling the items at grossly inflated prices online and he admitted spending his ill-gotten profits on luxuries including a week long VIP darts tournament package for himself and his partner, decorating their home and feeding seven children.

Even when his employers, a small North West firm, discovered his Ebay account selling their stock for himself he was undeterred and went on to open two more to continue his sales.

When police arrived at his Wirral home they found some of the stolen items and he admitted having placed them online for sale “with a view to setting up his own business which would include advertising equipment from other places to sell.”

40-year-old Edwards was today (Mon) put behind bars for 28 months by Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, who lambasted him for his disgraceful behaviour.

He said he accepted he had last stolen from his employer in January and last made a sale in March. “But the fact remains you were selling goods of this sort in March when you knew they were badly required by the NHS and others treating the victims of this dreadful pandemic and you had still had stock advertised for sale as late as May 1.

“Any decent person knowing the widespread suffering in our communities would have returned that stock or found someway of making it available to those who need it.

“It may be no exaggeration to say that the lack of the PPE may have lengthened illnesses of some involved and may have made others more vulnerable to catching this virus and you must have been aware of that but you continued selling or trying to sell it for your own financial gain.

“While the NHS and wider community were crying out for the equipment you were selling it at inflated prices on Ebay,” he said.

He pointed out that when the firm “came public spiritedly to turn to their stock to provide to the NHS in their time of need they discovered there was far less than they hoped there would be because you had taken it to sell on Ebay.”

He said that he did not accept his step-father’s description of him as gullible and not basically dishonest. “You are and have been for a long period of time fundamentally dishonest.”

Judge Flewitt added that while his partner, and her seven children and Edwards’ own 16-year-old daughter may suffer by his imprisonment “many people in the wider circle of society may already have suffered.

Edwards, of Coxheath, Rock Ferry, Wirral, had  pleaded guilty to theft by employee between June 2018 and March 11 this year.

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Amanda Maitra set up Supa Safety in 2015 at the Croft Business Park at Bromborough supplying PPE and safety equipment to a range of businesses including pharmaceuticals, construction, refineries and food companies.

Edwards was employed as a delivery driver and the business grew to a total of 10 staff he became a rep for the firm and as well as a wage rise and a £30,000 company car Mrs Maitra bought him a suit for the job as he said he did not have one.

By June 2018 he was unofficially the office manager and was involved in staff training. One of their main customers was PharmaPak based at Bidston, Wirral, at one time placing £50,000 monthly orders with Supa Safety, said Mr Hopkins.

Edwards was asked to look after that part of the business and was described as “being there from start to finish.” When Mrs Maitra opened AM Industrial Supplies in October the PharmaPak business was transferred to them and Edwards continued to manage the contract.

In time their monthly order decreased to £25,000 but Edwards “continued to order the same amount of stock from the suppliers but was selling the excess stock. It was being advertised for sale on Ebay.”

Concerns about missing items were raised by another employee last December and meanwhile by January “demands for face masks, gloves and coveralls all increased due to the Covid 19 pandemic,” said Mr Hopkins.

“It became more obvious in the warehouse that items were missing.”

Another employee pointed out an Ebay account Safety Hands 18_8 selling such equipment and when the firm used a ruse to discover that Edwards was the seller Mrs Maitra’s husband rang him and put the account name to him Edwards responded, “What about it?”

He told Edwards, “We know you’ve taken our stock and we want it back.”

Edwards was also told to return the car which he court heard he did, leaving it with a puncture and a small amount of stock in the boot. He subsequently made two payments of £750 to his former employers.

But he continued selling stolen stock using two more Ebay accounts he set up after the first was discovered.

Edwards was arrested on May 1 and admitted there was still stock for sale on Ebay. He said he had been paid £1100 net a month plus petrol allowance and was in debt. He decided to start selling the items to make a profit. If a company ordered two items of PPE he would order four and keep two for himself to sell and claimed he made £18,00 from the sales.

Mr Hopkins said that Mrs Maitra had to make some staff redundant and use her personal credit card to help finance the business and also re-mortgage her home.

She told in her victim impact statement how the company had decided to donate from special suits needed by surgeons but found they had non available. Edwards had stole 38 of them and was selling them for £30 each when they actually cost £6.

Paul Davison, defending, had told the court, “Timing  is said to be everything and there cannot be a worse time for committing offences of this sort.

“Most of it took place before people had heard of Covid 19 but it is conceded by the defendant that when Covid 19 came into the common domain he continued offering items for sale on Ebay and that is an aggravating feature.”

He said Edwards, who has no previous convictions, and his partner have been together for three years and he had become part of the wider family unit.

“He understands he needs to be punished. He is very remorseful for his actions. One may argue if he was so remorseful why didn’t he stop? The defendant felt he was so involved and embroiled perhaps there was no way out.”