A crooked bookmakers’ cashier allowed her own father to steal nearly £4,000 in a fake robbery stunt, but she narrowly avoided jail time.
Chevvine Darling, 28, from Colindale, assisted her father, Anthony Whyte, in carrying out a staged robbery at the Ladbrokes shop in Edgware in October 2016. Whyte, 46, entered the shop waving a threatening note demanding cash without any “tricks or buzzers.” Darling handed over £3,870 and then falsely reported that a stranger had robbed the shop.
Flying Squad officers quickly linked Whyte to the scene and his phone data in March 2017. The investigation deepened when police tracked calls between Whyte and one of the cashiers, revealing that the accomplice was his daughter, Darling.
Darling was arrested at her home weeks later. Phone analysis showed she was in contact with her father throughout the day. Additionally, she had broken company rules by keeping too much cash in the safe, which facilitated the theft.
At Guildford Crown Court, Darling was convicted of conspiracy to steal and perverting the course of justice. She received a 21-month suspended sentence for two years and was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, avoiding jail time.
Her father, Whyte, pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to 15 months for this offence, plus another 21 months for a separate Ladbrokes robbery in December 2016 where he stole over £400. These sentences run concurrently, and he also received a 30-month driving ban.
Detective Constable Emma Butcher said, “Chevvine Darling abused her position of trust to allow her father to steal a significant sum. The other cashier, believing it was a real robbery, suffered unnecessary fear and upset. The jail sentences reflect the serious consequences of these offences.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
