An Asda employee abused a company taxi account to fund more than £6,000 worth of personal journeys – including a 115-mile round trip to visit his mum in London.

Leroy Helegbe repeatedly booked cabs on the supermarket’s tab despite having no right to use the system, exploiting it for weeks before being caught.

The 30-year-old, who no longer works for the retail giant, racked up £6,217.62 in fraudulent fares between January and March this year.

He even took a taxi from Asda in Gravesend to his mother’s home in Edgware, north-west London, before returning to his address in Bazalgette Rise, Maidstone – one of 17 bookings made in his name.

Prosecutor Sidumiso Moyo told Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court the Asda account with transport provider Cabfind was available to use by managers, but not by its hourly-paid staff.

She told the bench that it would be used to arrange transport for workers if there was a reason they could no longer drive the vans, such as if the driver became unwell.

Ms Moyo added: “It was only to be used in an emergency and on rare occasions. As a result, it was hardly used.”

However, Helegbe repeatedly exploited the account for personal use without permission.

Ms Moyo said: “This was fraudulent activity over a sustained period of time. It was an abuse of a position of trust and responsibility.”

The court heard Helegbe had previous convictions for dishonesty - one in 2018, which saw him handed a community order, and another in 2021, where he was fined.

Helegbe, who is now a labourer for Network Rail, admitted 17 counts of fraud by false representation.

Sentencing him on Wednesday, chair of the bench Mr Knight said the offending crossed the custody threshold, but the term could be suspended due to his current work and prospects.

He handed Helegbe a 12-week sentence suspended for 18 months, along with 120 hours of unpaid work, 10 rehabilitation activity days and an order to repay £3,600 to Asda.

Mr Knight added: “We have considered that it does cross the custody threshold, but because you are working, we are prepared to suspend that sentence. We think there is a real chance of rehabilitation.

“You need to be really careful here. When you start assembling lots of offences of dishonesty, people get to a point where they refuse to trust you in anything you do.

“You would not want your children growing up thinking the best thing to be is dishonest.

“We have decided not to send you to prison immediately. You have got this chance, so you need to be careful.”