Ford Swaythling Tansit plant boss stole thousands of pounds worth of parts (From Daily Echo)
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Ford Swaythling Tansit plant boss stole thousands of pounds worth of parts
2:00pm Tuesday 20th January 2009 in News
Ford's Transit factory in Swaythling, Southampton
A FORMER Ford boss has been jailed for stealing parts worth more than £27,000 from the motor giant’s Southampton plant.
Mark Costigan stole alternators, front and rear light clusters and mudflaps from the Swaythling factory while working as a production supervisor.
Southampton Crown Court heard the 43-year-old had taken the parts on three separate occasions by getting workers to load them into a new Transit van which he then drove home.
Meanwhile, as revealed in the Daily Echo, investigations are continuing into two other employees suspended for similar alleged incidents.
Prosecutor Timothy Moores told the court that a sub-contractor had become suspicious of Costigan, an employee at the plant for 16 years, when he asked him to load a van with palettes of light clusters and alternators.
The sub-contractor, who worked for parts supplier Penske, informed plant bosses and between June and October 2007, security guards watched Costigan repeat his actions twice more.
On the third occasion police followed him to his home where Costigan admitted: “You’ve got me”.
He was suspended from work and later sacked.
Costigan initially pleaded guilty to stealing the light clusters and mudflaps but denied taking the alternators, but changed his plea to admit all charges on the first day of the trial.
The car parts had a cost price to Ford of £6,070 but would have been worth more than £27,000 if sold separately.
In mitigation Ian Hope told the court the father-of-two, who was on a £38,000 basic salary at Ford, was remorseful and had paid compensation for the full cost price of the items stolen.
He added: “He has done everything he could have done to set matters right.”
Sentencing Costigan, Judge Derwin Hope said: “For Ford to have in their midst a supervisor who is stealing from the company is a very serious matter.
“The damage you have done to the company is so serious only an immediate custodial sentence would be appropriate.”
Costigan, of Haselbury Road, Totton, was jailed for 20 weeks for stealing the alternators and eight weeks for each theft of light clusters, to run concurrently.
Ford spokesman Oliver Rowe confirmed the company was still investigating the other theft allegations.
Comments(18)
hulla baloo
says...
9:49am Tue 20 Jan 09
But what a muppet.
Fancy ordering colleagues to put stolen goods in to a van for him to take home.
normsted
says...
10:39am Tue 20 Jan 09
Big Boy
says...
10:58am Tue 20 Jan 09
AndyAndrews
says...
11:13am Tue 20 Jan 09
Hulk
says...
1:21pm Tue 20 Jan 09
Bartonian
says...
4:22pm Tue 20 Jan 09
Derek of Dibden Purlieu
says...
4:57pm Tue 20 Jan 09
Bartonian wrote:......and in between they built low cost, low quality heaps of junk that no-one wanted.
Did he once work for British Leyland by any chance? The workers there did nothing but sleep and nick things, not to mention strike!
Edward Nygma
says...
5:23pm Tue 20 Jan 09
"Southampton Transit Plant"
The proverbial "sinking ship
Denzil'
says...
6:34pm Tue 20 Jan 09
Georgem
says...
6:43pm Tue 20 Jan 09
soton
says...
7:04pm Tue 20 Jan 09
AndyAndrews wrote:I've heard of several Ford CD players that have 'gone awol' amongst other miscellaneous items. Pity I don't own a Ford!
I wonder how many hundredes of thousands of pounds worth of stolen Ford parts are in garages and sheds around Southampton? Another reason the firm's gradually closing down?
Denzil'
says...
8:08pm Tue 20 Jan 09
Georgem wrote:I don't claim to be wealthy Georgem, far from it. Contrary to what some of the clowns think on this site, I do live in the most exclusive estate in Southampton. But it's only a small but very nice flat!
£38k basic isn't a fantastic salary, Denzil. Especially for a father of 2. And here's you always bragging about how wealthy you are. Pah!
gorf
says...
8:26pm Tue 20 Jan 09
people from their should be telling the plod about their mates if they wanna keep a job....keep a work m8 or keep a job?
Georgem
says...
8:30am Wed 21 Jan 09
me,myself and I
says...
2:03pm Wed 21 Jan 09
Georgem wrote:If I had a £38k basic , I would call it fantastic and I have 3 kids. I am sure a lot of other people would say the same too
£38k basic isn't a fantastic salary, Denzil. Especially for a father of 2. And here's you always bragging about how wealthy you are. Pah!
ntiberiu
says...
7:41am Sun 1 Feb 09
U.K.,Korea,
Germany.
When a boss has big mortgage at the bank or a expensive mistress,"he must find alternative solutions",like Korean people say.
When you catch a thief stealing,you cut his the hand with he stoled,so he can be an tough example for others,Coran law said.
Thanks for this good news.
ntiberiu
says...
7:47am Sun 1 Feb 09
inchirieriauto
says...
3:34pm Fri 29 Oct 10
ntiberiu wrote:Hello..I am from Craiova too...I have the same opinion as you..If you want ,we can keep in touch,talk about this problems and to share views.
Good morning,my name is Nisipasu Tiberiu,I'm from Romania,Craiova city & I was wondering when we in Romania don't read about this kind of news,which proove that people are same all over the world:Romania,China,
U.K.,Korea,
Germany.
When a boss has big mortgage at the bank or a expensive mistress,"he must find alternative solutions",like Korean people say.
When you catch a thief stealing,you cut his the hand with he stoled,so he can be an tough example for others,Coran law said.
Thanks for this good news.
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