Former RBS bank manager jailed after stealing £100,000

A former bank manager from Clevedon, who stole more than £100,000 from his employer over three years, has been jailed.

Benjamin Thornton, of Elgar Close, was sentenced to 40 months behind bars at Bristol Crown Court today (Tuesday).

The 32-year-old worked in the city and his three-and-a-half-year deceit was only uncovered by chance when a new bank manager was appointed and the department was reorganised.

Thornton worked at RBS in Baldwin Street and between June 2012 and December 2015 helped himself to a six-figure sum.

Initial RBS enquiries believed the shortfall was worth £7,000 but as the internal investigation increased, so did the running total.

Ultimately a shortfall of £190,000 was discovered and Avon and Somerset Constabulary was duly noted.

Thornton had been taking cash from the bank and hid the shortfall by moving money around within RBS so his deceit was not spotted.

He even came into work on his days off to help cover his tracks.

A police spokesman said: "Further enquiries showed that Thornton alone would be involved in the daily running of the bank, including counting cash at the end of the day, counting cash for audit checks and even coming into the bank to continue the procedures when he was supposed to be on annual leave.

"He initially denied the offences and said that someone else must have used his ID to carry out the theft of the cash.

"However CCTV coverage showed him attending the branch when he was on annual leave when his ID was used to key in fraudulent transactions."

Thornton admitted a count of stealing from his employer in June.