A FORMER restaurant worker was jailed after paying a cheque for thousands stolen from his place of work into his own bank account.

Well-known York restaurateur Abdu Naeb rumbled 31-year-old Mark Harris back in June 2004 when he discovered £3,500 had gone missing from the business bank account of Caesars restaurant in Goodramgate.

York Crown Court heard how the money had been withdrawn from Caesars' business account, and it was later discovered that a cheque had been removed from the restaurant's cheque book.

Austin Newman, prosecuting, said former Caesars' owner Mr Naeb had confirmed he had not authorised anyone to use either the account or the cheque.

Mr Naeb, who now owns La Vecchia Scuola in Low Petergate, York, called police after spotting the cash had gone missing.

It was later discovered the cheque had been made out to Harris, and paid into his Nationwide building society account. Harris, who worked a few shifts at Caesars as a kitchen porter, was arrested on June 14.

He admitted acquiring criminal property, and was sent to prison for ten months.

Harris was prosecuted under the new Proceeds of Crime Act, which makes it an offence to receive money while either knowing or suspecting it to have been stolen.

It was not established in court who had actually taken the cheque.

Judge Patrick Robertshaw, sentencing Harris, told him: "Quite clearly, Parliament is concerned, and I think the public generally is concerned, about the ease with which...property which has a criminal origin can be put back into legitimate circulation.

"It's when people such as you are prepared to lend their assistance with a legitimate bank or building society account, that those who commit crimes of dishonesty are able to gain the benefit of proceeds of their crime, and that's why it's a serious offence."

Mr Naeb said after the hearing he was "relieved" the case was finally over, and that Harris had come clean.

Harris was expected to be released from prison yesterday because he had already served the extent of his sentence on remand.

Updated: 10:36 Monday, January 16, 2006