A successful retailer was forced to close his business after a trusted employee stole more than £46,000 worth of jewellery from him.

Garry Williamson, 67, ran Williamson Brown jewellery store in Jesmond, Newcastle, for 25 years. He was devastated to learn that Keiran Hurhangee, who he had employed for 14 years, had been stealing his stock.

The 44-year-old’s scheming came to light when somebody known to Hurhangee, contacted Garry and informed him about what he had been doing. Hurhangee has now been convicted and jailed for 16 months.

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Garry, who lives with his wife Nicola, 55, in the Gosforth area of the city, was left so badly affected by what Hurhangee had done, he felt he had no choice but to close down.

Garry said: “I’m happy with the sentence that he was given. It’s the only way he’s going to learn that you can’t do this. He’s never ever apologised, he’s never shown any remorse or said why he was doing it.

“He came across as such a nice guy, he was like a Jekyll and Hyde. Up until some of the jewellery was found I was still disbelieving. I was just aghast, I couldn’t believe it.

“We had him at our wedding and we have had him in our home for meals. I paid his rates so he didn’t get a CCJ. We have been very good to him.

“It’s been a horrific experience and a complete loss of trust.”

Garry said his shop on Clayton Road was popular as they sold products which other retailers did not offer.

He said he had complete trust in Hurhangee and he had the combination for the safe, access to the cabinets and a key for the front door.

A court heard how, over a two-year period, Hurhangee repeatedly breached his trust by pocketing rings, bracelets, necklaces and other expensive items, worth a total of £46,865.65.

Garry said he lost faith in the jewellery business, which was also impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and he closed after the last lockdown in 2021.

He said the case has caused him emotional distress and he no longer feels able to run a business.

Garry said: “It was such a successful business, everyone loved it. If the item was sold anywhere else I would stop selling it.

“Hurhangee was manipulating all the accounts. He was taking jewellery and altering the database to make it look like the stock level was correct.

“With such a large amount of money being stolen I didn’t have enough to still run the business. I’ve lost confidence in the business and employing people.

“After 25 years, it’s horrific. It’s ruined my business and affected my income.”

Hurhangee, of Warwick Street, Heaton, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by employee at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court in July last year.

His case was sent to Newcastle Crown Court where he was sentenced for the offence and another separate charge of sending a communication / article of an indecent / offensive nature to a different victim.

On Monday, April 24 he was put behind bars for 16 months and handed a five-year restraining order.

Garry said he wanted to pursue the case in court to ensure Hurhangee was convicted and was given a criminal record. He has urged other businesses to be vigilant and check to see if any potential employees have previous offences.

He said: “It’s ruined my business and there’s more smaller businesses out there than bigger businesses. It’s important for me to let other companies know.”

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