A WORKER who stole £88,000 of goods from an engineering firm and sold some on eBay has been jailed for two years.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard Jay D’Ambrosio, 44, took the items from Eaton Aerospace in Titchfield, while working a £30,173-a-year job.

The manufacturing technician made £16,600 from the items he sold and had listed £1,050 worth of items to sell when police searched his home.

An investigation by the firm found an item listed for sale on the auction website had an engraving put on it by the company, proving it came from the factory.

Prosecuting, Anthony Bailey said an employee ‘noticed there were a high number of items that matched those stolen from the factory floor’.

He added: ‘This case concerns the ongoing series of thefts from the defendant’s employers over a period of almost two years. Record on eBay reveal that £16,600 was deposited as a result of these sales.

‘This is an aeronautical engineering company that makes specialist products.

‘The employers reported that they had noticed a large quantity of tools had gone missing.’

Unsold items were believed to have been returned to the company, Mr Bailey added.

The court heard D’Ambrosio started stealing after ‘accidentally’ taking a drill bit home in his pocket.

He listed it on eBay for 99p and it sold for £3.99.

He later told police he took 20 to 30 items a night.

The court heard D’Ambrosio used his wife’s eBay account, however he told her was ‘allowed’ to take the items.

Police were called on June 10 last year after an employee saw the eBay account and discovered it was linked to D’Ambrosio’s wife’s Facebook profile.

The court heard she was not involved in the theft.

Defending, Keely Harvey said D’Ambrosio was struggling with his finances.

She said he was acting in ‘desperation’ to ‘provide for his family’.

D’Ambrosio, of Poulner Close, Southampton, pleaded guilty to theft and attempting to sell the remaining items on eBay.

A spokesman said D’Ambrosio worked for Eaton Aerospace them from May 2008 to June 2013.

The court heard the company is now starting civil proceedings against D’Ambrosio.