A night manager at the Grand Hotel in York who repeatedly stole from his employers has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Daniel Harrison used his position to make fake refunds from a card machine at the five-star city centre hotel, York magistrates heard.

His defence solicitor Kevin Blount alleged that Harrison was a “fall guy” for a second man who had pocketed half the stolen money, and that Harrison’s bank statement supported that claim.

The now former night manager stood alone in the dock and no-one else has been charged in connection with the crimes.

Harrison, 34, of Chapelfields Road, Acomb, pleaded guilty to five charges of fraud by abuse of position totalling £3,818.

He was given a 16-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months without conditions and ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £154 statutory surcharge.

James De-Ville, prosecuting, said the hotel’s finance director noticed a £3,818 discrepancy when checking its accounts and traced the cause to five withdrawals made via a card machine in the building made from June 9, 2022, to June 21, 2022.

Harrison had been on duty every time the machine had been used fraudulently and each time, he had been filmed by the hotel’s CCTV at the machine.

“He appeared to be using it to conduct a refund,” said Mr De-Ville.

Harrison’s bank statements showed he had paid the money into his own account.

Mr Blount said Harrison had lost his job at the hotel over the frauds.

“It appears he (Harrison) had been taken advantage of and become a fall guy for someone else,” said Mr Blount.

Another employee had suggested to Harrison that he carry out the fake refunds as a means of getting money, the court heard.

After the money went into Harrison’s bank account “some of the money was withdrawn from the bank again and handed over to the other person,” said Mr Blount.

“That appears to be the case from the bank statement.”

When police spoke to the second man, he had denied any involvement with the frauds and had since left the company, said Mr Blount.

The frauds were not sophisticated and had been captured on CCTV, so Harrison was always going to be caught.

He now suffers from physical and mental ill health that means he cannot now work or do unpaid work as a punishment, said Mr Blount. He was receiving medical assistance.

York magistrates read a probation report and a report by a mental health liaison and diversion officer before passing sentence. They heard that the amount of money taken varied between £420 taken on June 19 and £1380, taken on June 21. The first amount taken had been £500 on June 9.