A LEISURE centre worker has been jailed after stealing almost £15,000 to fund his cocaine habit.

For more than a year Matthew Johnson pretended people who had signed up for memberships were requesting refunds, but transferred payments into his own bank account instead.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Johnson even duped a friend into allowing his account to be used as a channel for the stolen money.

Johnson, aged 26, of Eagley Bank, Bolton, pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud and was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Roger Brown, prosecuting, told how Johnson was employed as a customer service adviser at Bolton Council-owned Horwich Leisure Centre.

Part of his role was to deal with people who wanted to become members and made payments. If someone decided shortly afterwards to cancel their membership then refunds would be made.

However, staff did not have to match refunds against a specific membership payment and so Johnson was able to exploit the system to make multiple payments, for as much as £259, into his own account and that of a friend. He had asked to use of his friend's account after claiming he had lost his own debit card.

Mr Brown said Johnson began taking the money in June 2016, using an identity card, which should have been kept locked away, to access the system.

"Anyone could pick it up and use it for a transaction." said Mr Brown.

Over the next year Johnson stole a total of £14,796.84 — £14,019.84 into his own bank account and a further £777 into his friend's.

Eventually the leisure centre bosses became aware that money was missing and, at a disciplinary hearing, Johnson admitted his guilt and resigned.

"It was a palpable relief for him because he knew it could not go on," said Nicholas Ross, defending.

He added that Johnson is keen to make amends, is now selling his house in order to repay the stolen cash, has found work as a barman in Manchester and is seeking help to deal with his drug problem.

"His assertion is that he is now abstaining from the use of cocaine," said Mr Ross.

"He recognises that it may have been better to have sought help for his cocaine addiction at an earlier point."

Mr Ross stated that Johnson had turned to cocaine to deal with a difficult period in his life 10 years ago when his father died and he came out as being gay.

"He would say he took solace in cocaine — he used it as a crutch," said Mr Ross, who appealed to Judge Timothy Stead to allow Johnson to do unpaid work instead of going to prison.

"He has harmed the community he stole from and it would be right, to say the least, for him to pay something back," said Mr Ross.

But Judge Stead did not agree Johnson should be spared prison.

He said: "Not everyone who abuses substances resorts to fraud on this scale. When I bear in mind the nature of the offences themselves, it doesn't seem to me, in the circumstances, to be appropriate."

A proceeds of crime hearing is due to take place on August 2 in order to reclaim the stolen money from Johnson.