A JUDGE has defended the Press's right to report court cases after a barrister blamed publicity for a thief losing his job.

Mark Stuart, whose client had disappeared with almost £3,000 of his bosses' cash when he was an assistant pub manager, had taken a public swipe at a Lancashire Evening Telegraph story with a prominent headline and told Burnley Crown Court it must have been a "slow news or no news day".

Judge Raymond Bennett was quick to point out that while John Wilkinson, 29, may have felt resentful over losing his job at Sainsbury's, newspapers were entitled to publish proceedings which went on in the courts.

He went on: "It would be quite wrong for somebody to try and interfere with that right."

The judge had deferred sentence on Wilkinson on February 5 to see if he could stay out of trouble and save cash "to put right the wrong he had done".

He gave Wilkinson 100 hours community service and added that he recognised that without a job Wilkinson would find it difficult to repay the £2,940 he had stolen.

Wilkinson was also ordered to pay £590 compensation. The judge also told him that his previous employers, Greenalls, were perfectly entitled to sue him for the balance he owed through the county court. Wilkinson, of Burnley Road, Padiham, who had no previous convictions for dishonesty, had admitted theft.

Nick Simmons, prosecuting, said Wilkinson had worked as assistant manager at the Fighting Cocks, Cliviger, and only he, the temporary manager and the manager's wife had access to the safe.

The manager found £2,940 had been removed and Wilkinson had left a bizarre note saying he had gone to Colombia.

He said he had gone to work for a cartel for whom he had previously killed people and to take on a new identity and life! Wilkinson's car was later found abandoned at Leeds Bradford Airport. He was arrested in July 1998 in London.

Mr Stuart, defending, said after the report of Wilkinson's case appeared in the newspaper, Wilkinson lost his job "through no fault of his own".

He then went on to work for Coldshield double glazing but later lost that job and was currently receiving Job Seekers' Allowance.

Wilkinson, who lived with his fiancee, now hoped to find employment within the Trading Standards Department and make that his career.

Mr Stuart added: "At the moment, he is unemployed but he will find work. He is confident of that."

OPINION: Page 6

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