Preston prisoner officer suspended for stealing Elton John records from Blackpool HMV store

Nathan Gould, 30, of Mather Street, Blackpool appeared before the resort’s Magistrates Court today where he admitted stealing vinyl records from the HMV store in Bank Hey Street.

He told the court he suffers from kleptomania – a rare compulsive disorder where the urge to steal things sometimes becomes uncontrollable.

Gould was suspended from duties at Preston Prison after he was arrested and charged with targeting the HMV store four times in three months.

He admitted stealing a number of vinyl records by Elton John, worth up to £1,500, when he appeared before Blackpool Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (May 16).

Gould was bailed on condition that he does not enter HMV pending preparation of pre-sentence reports on him.

“This is the repeat targeting of the same store,” said prosecutor Pam Smith, but Trevor Colebourne, defending, said the thefts were due to his client’s ‘uncontrollable urge to steal’.

He added that medical reports are being prepared on the prison officer who had no previous convictions.

“He has mental health problems and suffers from kleptomania,” said Mr Colebourne. “He has the uncontrollable urge to steal vinyl records, but not CD's. At the moment no one seems sure how many."