A MAN who stole more than £50,000 from the Chester business he worked for has been given a 12-month suspended sentence.

Anthony Houghton had previously pleaded guilty to eight counts of defrauding his former city-based employer, animal foodstuffs company Mercury Commodities, based on Chester Business Park, between November 2010 and January 2011.

The 39-year-old married father was also ordered to complete two years of supervised mental health treatment.

Houghton, of Prestatyn, sobbed in the dock as Chester Crown Court heard how he had used his position as an IT technician at the company to reconfigure the company’s computer system while his boss was on holiday.

He also accessed the system from home and deleted files, before his boss discovered eight payments totalling £52,981, that had been transferred into Houghton’s own account.

When questioned by police, Houghton initially insisted he had been told to transfer the money, but later admitted to his actions.

Matthew Curtis, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character and had no other convictions.

“It has to be conceded this was a serious breach of trust but he expresses sincere remorse for the offence,” he added.