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A member of bar staff who stole almost £70,000 from a popular Cardiff nightclub “in revenge” for having to work long hours fought back tears as he was sent to jail.

Jordan Rowlands had already admitted carrying out the theft from his employers, 90s-themed establishment Retro in Mill Lane.

The 23-year-old, of Claerwen, Gelligaer, in the Rhymney Valley, pocketed £69,137 over a period of 19 months between March 2014 and October last year.

He issued false refunds while working at the club, usually on busy nights, which he took for himself instead.

But his crimes came to light when a manager on the night of October 25 discovered total takings for the evening had actually decreased between when he checked at 2am and then two hours later.

It prompted an investigation by management, and when they confronted Rowlands he admitted what he had done.

'Got out of hand'

Prosecutor Tony Trigg told Cardiff Crown Court: “The amounts taken increased over time and tended to coincide with when the club was busy, presumably to try and conceal what was going on.

“Many of the refunds were for hundreds of pounds. [But] refunds are fairly uncommon anyway in nightclubs and when they are given they are for just a few pounds.

“When asked about why he had done this he said he felt the management didn’t like him and it was revenge for the long hours he had to work at the club.”

Mitigating, Leah Pollard said Rowlands, who acted as a carer for his mother from a young age, had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety shortly before his thefts were uncovered - but had reportedly been denied time off by Retro because it was such a busy time of year.

And she added: “[Rowlands] expressed surprise at the amount that was involved in this case.

“This was something that effectively got out of hand and got away from him in terms of the levels of his offending.”

'Lack of maturity'

Sentencing, Judge Patrick Curran QC told Rowlands: “What is quite clear is that this was an offence committed over a very sustained period of time and, given the amount of money which was involved, it’s the kind of offence for which only a custodial sentence is appropriate.”

But he added: “Your age and lack of maturity are factors which are to be taken into account.

“There was [also] a degree of trust which may not have been entirely appropriate for you in terms of the hours you were working.”

As he was led away to begin a six-month jail term there were supportive shouts and tears from a group of a dozen people in the public gallery.

A spokesperson for Retro said: “The amount of money stolen and the breach of our trust was significant and therefore we think the sentence passed down is fair and just.

“This incident was an isolated one and we are lucky to have a great team of over 30 people working at Retro who we trust day in, day out.

“We thank them and our customers for their continued support.”