A trusted telecoms company worker stole expensive batteries which backed up a Penrith mobile phone mast’s power supply — and sold them to fund his gambling habit.
But 39-year-old Martin Whalen’s illegal inside job was exposed after his own phone was pinpointed to that tower at the time of his £21,500 theft.
Carlisle Crown Court heard a power interruption was detected on a Vodafone mast at Beacon Edge at around 2-50pm on 28th May, 2020.
Prosecutor Brendan Burke explained that the mast was served by grid power. But in the event of that grid supply ever going down, batteries were in place to provide back-up.
At the time, Whalen, of Rosefield Road, Dumfries, was employed by communications giant Ericsson which had the contract for mast maintenance.
“The irregularity was detected electronically on 28th May,” said Mr Burke. “Because it has not caused the mast (supply) to go down, there was no response until the following day when an engineer attended.
That engineer discovered 28 12-volt EnerSys batteries — kept locked in a cabin due to their value — were missing.
“The lock had not been forced, suggesting someone had used a key card belonging to Ericsson to access it,” said Mr Burke.
Further evidence that it was an “inside job” was provided by professional steps taken by the thief to tape up loose wires and prevent the power supply failing.
This pointed to Whalen. “The defendant’s mobile phone number was investigated and sited to that mast at the right time, as was the company vehicle he had been supplied with in the course of his employment,” said Mr Burke.
When interviewed, Whalen initially admitted stealing only eight smaller and less expensive batteries.
He later pleaded guilty to burglary and the additional theft of the EnerSys items. The total value of his loot was £21,500.
“He said he had taken them and already sold them,” added the prosecutor.
The court heard Whalen had been sentenced at Dumfries Sheriff Court, in April, 2022, for another similar theft committed around the same time as the Cumbria crime. This had resulted in him losing his job.
Defence lawyer Jeff Smith, mitigating, sought to explain the defendant’s criminal motivation, saying: “Mr Whalen, for want of a better phrase, ‘lost it’. He began gambling, resulting in the loss of his relationship, and this led to offending both here and over the border at around about the same time.”
He had been a man of good character before this offending, and had since taken steps to rebuild his life. “He has shown himself to be capable of rehabilitation,” said the solicitor.
Recorder Brian Whitehead imposed a 12-month community order comprising supervision aimed at providing rehabilitation, and a three-month night time curfew as punishment. Whalen must also pay £1,200 compensation.
“I understand that you took (the batteries) and sold them to pay for a gambling addiction that you had at the time,” said Recorder Whitehead as he passed sentence.
“There was some degree of planning and organisation. It was clearly made easier for you than a member of the public by your access to the mast.”
