Bingo Boss Caught With Hands in the Till After £30k Skegness Pub Theft

_{The Lookout pub. (Image: The Lookout/Facebook)}

A bingo manager who allegedly stole more than £30,000 from a seaside pub in Skegness has been handed a suspended jail sentence. A post on the Lookout Pub Facebook page dsputes the figure and claims that Important they only found evidence up to £22,000 worth of theft.
 

Jamie Searson, 38, of Elizabeth Mews, Grimsby, admitted stealing the money while working ironically at The Lookout Public House between 2022 and the summer of 2023.

A spokesperson RJ & RJ Hall Ltd said: "Jaime Searson stole from the bingo system which was ran from the Oasis bar as well as the Lookout. He was also the entertainment manager for the company overlooking all venues.

"The period of time in which the theft took place spaned over 6 years not 18 months.  The media have incorrectly reported this, and we wanted to set the record straight."

_{BBC got it wrong according to post on pub's Facebook page. (Image: the Lookout pub/Facebook)}

Lincoln Crown Court heard that Searson ran bingo games at the venue, selling tickets to customers and declaring the jackpot. But he under-recorded sales figures and pocketed the difference, concealing the theft for more than a year.

How the Scheme Unravelled

Prosecutor Clarkson Baptiste told the court Searson was responsible for inputting sales into the pub’s computer system and would take the cash home in an envelope each night.

“Unbeknown to Mr Searson, the computer system had its own internal system,” Mr Baptiste said, explaining how discrepancies began to emerge when digital records didn’t match his handwritten notes.

When the financial shortfall came to light, Searson offered to pay back £15,000 in an attempt to avoid police involvement. His employers instead contacted Lincolnshire Police, and he later admitted the offence.

‘Sustained Dishonesty’ Over 18 Months

Defending, Tom Heath said Searson had no previous convictions and entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity.

“He was creating spreadsheets but was then defeated by the computer system he had created,” Mr Heath said.

Judge Philip Head described Searson’s actions as “a sustained period of dishonesty.”

“You have got to the age of 35 without being in trouble, but what was going on below the water line was a sustained period of dishonesty,” Judge Head told him. “It went on until you were caught.”

Searson received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 175 hours of unpaid community service.

A proceeds of crime hearing to determine whether any of the stolen funds can be recovered has been scheduled for May 2026.

Case Highlights Vulnerability to Theft

Cases like Searson’s highlight how small-scale gambling operations, such as pub bingo nights, can be vulnerable to insider theft if financial safeguards aren’t properly monitored. The court’s reliance on digital audit trails shows how technology can expose even long-running cash-based fraud.