Pub manager stole over £7k from New Years Eve takings before blowing it all during gambling spree

A pub manager stole over £7,000 from the venue’s New Year’s Eve takings before gambling it all away. Jordan Drysdale, 31, was captured on CCTV stuffing bundles of cash into his pocket whilst cashing up at the Metropolitan pub in West Didsbury.

When he failed to turn up the following evening for his shift, the general manager became suspicious and an internal review of every member of staff was launched. It was only when reviewing the CCTV footage from the officer that it revealed Drysdale, of Longsight, had taken the money from the safe.

It also showed that the night before, he had taken the day's takings before bringing it back in the early hours of the morning, Manchester Crown Court heard.

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Today, October 27, he was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to theft by an employee.

John Richards, prosecuting, said that between December 31 2022 and January 1 2023, £7,760 was stolen. Drysdale, who was one of six duty managers, had a code which enabled him to access the pub’s safe.

At around 2am he could be seen visibly working out the total profits of the day with the open safe next to him. He then moved his back to the camera before putting the cash into his jacket pockets.

In a victim personal statement, the general manager said: “Had it not been for the CCTV, another member of staff would have also been suspended due to the fact he was there at the time.”

The theft also meant that staff would not be receiving their bonuses, Mr Richards said.

Another manager had received a message from a member of staff who’d heard from Drysdale, saying