Wirral man stole PPE to sell at inflated prices on eBay

Gary Edwards pleaded guilty to theft

A man who stole personal protective equipment (PPE) and sold the items at inflated prices on eBay during the coronavirus pandemic has been jailed.

Gary Edwards, 40, stole £30,000 worth of PPE from his Merseyside employer.

This meant the vital equipment could not be donated to the NHS amid the PPE shortage, the court heard.

Edwards, of Wirral, was jailed for 28 months at Liverpool Crown Court after admitting theft by employee between June 2018 and 11 March.

"While the NHS and wider community were crying out for the equipment you were selling it at inflated prices," said Judge Neil Flewitt, QC.

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

Officers seized items from Gary Edwards' home, including face masks and respirators

The court heard how Edwards was initially employed as a delivery driver before becoming a sales rep and then the unofficial office manager for Supa Safety, which supplied PPE and safety equipment to businesses.

While Edwards had been stealing the equipment for some time, his crime spree was only uncovered when the company decided to donate suits to the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

Edwards had stolen 36 of these suits and was selling them for £30 each when they only cost £6, the court heard.

The company has since made redundancies and the owner has used her credit card and re-mortgaged her home to help finance the business.

While Edwards admitted using the money to feed seven children, he also splashed out on a week-long VIP darts tournament package and redecorated his home, the court heard.

Paul Davison, defending, told the court that Edwards, who has no previous convictions, was remorseful for his actions.

"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," he added.