A TRUSTED cashier who swindled £25,000 from his employer was allowed to walk free from court.

But Judge Adrian Lyon warned Jamie Wynne, 21, he would never be allowed to work in the financial industry again after stealing the money from insolvency practitioner Begbies Traynor Group.

Suspending a 52-week prison sentence for two years with 12 months supervision, the judge said: “You are going to have to find employment elsewhere.”

He ordered Wynne, of Cowper Street, Bootle, to do 180 hours unpaid work and attend a probation programme.

Geoffrey Fryar, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Wynne worked at the Old Hall Street firm for about five years.

But on July 27 last year, he betrayed bosses by pocketing three cheques worth £23,000 meant for company customers by altering the payee names.

Further inquiries revealed Wynne, who admitted two counts of theft and three of fraud, had also pocketed two £1,000 payments from customers, before fiddling the books.

In interview, Wynne admitted he was “stupid”.

Mr Fryar said: “He expressed remorse and shame that he betrayed the trust the company had put in him.”