AN ASSISTANT manager who stole thousands of pounds from an Old Coulsdon bookie's has been caught out in a £30,000 fraud.

Dhaval Brahmbhatt, who worked at Betfred, originally denied stealing almost £4,000 in cash from the betting shop's safe, claiming it was taken as a loan.

But the 25-year-old admitted the theft when he appeared at Croydon Magistrates' Court on Monday after being charged in connection with the bigger fraud.

Magistrates heard Brahmbhatt took the cash from the Coulsdon Road shop's safe before texting his manager and asking for a loan on August 20 last year.

Brahmbhatt, of Maskell Road, Wandsworth, told his boss it was for his dad in Pakistan.

His boss immediately called the police and Brahmbhatt was charged with theft.

In an earlier hearing Brahmbhatt denied stealing but on Monday he appeared from the cells looking dishevelled and requested to change his plea.

Magistrates heard that Brahmbhatt, who is now in the country illegally after his student visa ran out, had also been charged on June 10 with possession of criminal property, namely the £30,000, which was gained from a fraud in central London.

At City of Westminster Magistrates' Court, Brahmbhatt admitted buying a Mercedes and a Honda with the £30,000 between January 26 and June 9.

Magistrates heard since his arrest in June, Brahmbhatt had been remanded in custody.

At an earlier hearing he admitted sending several text messages to his Betfred area manager offering to pay the cash back.

Chair of the bench Julie Mear was told Brahmbhatt had not paid a penny back to the bookies.

She remanded him into custody to await sentencing. He will be sentenced at the Old Bailey on both offences in the coming months.