A judge has banned an ex-Sketchers manager from all forms of gambling after convicting him for a £15,183k sneaker refund con. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Soft shoe hustle

Southwark Crown Court has banned a former manager of a shoe shop in one of London’s poshest retail addresses from all forms of gambling after a judge charged him for a £15,183 ($19,520) merchandise refund scheme.

a major reprieve

Judge Adam Hiddleston’s verdict at the Tuesday trial, to target ban Nicky May instead of putting him behind bars, represents a major reprieve for the 34-year-old from Tottenham.

As the ex-assistant manager of a Sketchers sneaker store in Central London’s Oxford Street between June and October 2023, May processed over 100 fictitious refunds and blew the proceeds on gambling.

Judge Hiddleston’s decision to suspend May’s ten-month prison sentence for 18 months and instead ban him from “entering casinos, betting shops, and using gambling websites” comes as the defense successfully convinced the court of the Londoner’s gambling rehabilitation since his arrest in October.

Successful argument

My London cited Defence Counsel James Higbee as laying blame on May’s gambling addiction “for the brazen theft” while calling on Hiddleston to impose a Community Order over a suspended sentence.

Higbee said May was aware he had a problem that “has festered for many years.” May’s attorney added that, despite his client’s previous conviction for a carbon copy offense, it was “not a life of crime. He has worked all his life and he will work afterwards.”

Prosecutor Jack Furness’s revelation that May was convicted for processing 23 fake refunds worth £2,230 ($2,868) while working for JD Sports in 2018 ultimately wasn’t enough for the judge to consign the repeat felon behind bars.

“Today you have been given a chance,” the judge reasoned.

According to My London, Hiddleston concluded prison would not benefit the ex-Sketchers’ manager or society, citing progress May had made with gambling harms organization GamCare since his arrest shortly after resigning on October 30, 2023.

The judge nevertheless warned May not to get tempted to jeopardize his freedom.

“If you do not stay out of trouble, or do what I have told you to do, be in no doubt, you will ultimately find yourself behind bars.”

Officer sniffs scheme afoot

The end of May’s sneaker hustle came when Sketchers USA loss prevention officer Alice Haines noted an excessive loss for a store that keeps the majority of its inventory off the shelves and out of reach of shoplifters.

removing cash from the tills then folding it to put in his pocket.”

Haines noted three card refunds linked to two debit cards used by May to buy sneakers with his 50% staff discount. Watching CCTV footage of the transactions, she saw May “processing refunds, holding tills shut, and removing cash from the tills then folding it to put in his pocket.”

Video evidence of May forging the signatures of Sketchers customers on store receipts added to his downfall.