A FORMER NHS employee stole a haul of electronic devices from a Southampton hospital.
Gaven Vythelingum was branded mean and spiteful by a crown court judge for stealing from University Hospital Southampton.
Prosecution barrister, Ellie Fargin told how the administration manager traded in the devices - which were worth thousands of pounds - at Cash Converter and Cash Generator stores, bagging himself a cut-price £1,853.
Gaven Vythelingum outside Southampton Crown Court on April 28, 2021
During his time at the NHS, the 36-year-old - who had been working on a fixed-term contract, stole a projector, scanner, disk drive, six laptops, six iPads, and 12 dictaphones.
Ms Fargin said: “On one occasion he sold a brand-new iPad still sealed in its box.”
She told how there had been suspicions surrounding him, but he was not investigated because there was no CCTV.
Cash Converters later called the hospital when a customer returned an iPad that needed an NHS login.
Appearing before Southampton Crown Court, Vythelingum, formerly of Waterloo Road, Southampton, was charged with a single count of theft to which he previously pleaded guilty.
University Hospital Southampton (UHS).
The court heard how he has two previous convictions for driving while under the influence.
Defending, Jim Osborne said: “At the time he committed these offences he was dealing with some serious personal matters.”
He told how his client found himself in severe financial difficulty at the time and started using alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism.
Mr Osborne added: “He tells me he took the items in order to fund his lifestyle.”
He argued that he has managed to turn his life around and now works full-time as an assistant project manager.
Vythelingum, now of Mafeking Road, Southsea, eventually had his contract with the NHS terminated for other matters of poor performance.
The offences happened between December 2017 and September 2018; however, he was only charged in January 2020.
His case was delayed when he missed court appearances claiming he was self-isolating.
Judge Peter Henry gave him a two-year community order to include 250 hours of unpaid work.He must complete 25 rehabilitation activity days and pay £450 in court costs.
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