Winsford Asda worker stole £26k for 'luxury' shopping trips

Police described Aaron Hughes as a prolific liar

A supermarket worker who stole more than £26,000 by creating fake refunds has been jailed.

Aaron Hughes, 30, who worked at the Asda store in Winsford, Cheshire, used the money to pay for "luxury" shopping trips to Harrods and Selfridges, police said.

His thefts came to light when store bosses noticed a suspicious number of refunds over three months.

Hughes, of Well Street, admitted fraud and was jailed for a year.

Chester Crown Court heard the store launched an internal investigation after the suspicious transactions were flagged towards the end of 2022.

It revealed that Hughes had transferred a total of £26,775 to himself over the period.

'Blatant lies'

The worker admitted the fraud when confronted, telling his employer he had photographed products on the shelves using his mobile phone and then processed the refunds.

When questioned by police, he lied and claimed he was being blackmailed and forced to pay £500 a week.

DC Rebecca Sadler, of Northwich CID, said Hughes had proven himself to be a "prolific liar" and had also spent some of the money on holidays.

"During his short three-month crime spree, he managed to steal almost £27,000 from his employers, to fund his luxury spending sprees and trips away," she said.

"He thought he could go under the radar and even following his arrest Hughes continued to tell blatant lies to officers.

"Thankfully, he has now been held accountable and is facing the consequences of his actions."