A croupier who fiddled a roulette wheel so his niece could rake in thousands has been given a 16-week jail sentence.

Geordie Graham Magee, 28, and girlfriend Shelley butters, 19, who also worked in the casino, made sure the ball landed on number 28 when he knew Anneka Strachan, 22, had bet on it.

But the trio were found out when bosses at Newcastle’s Stanley Casino noticed the bumper payout and put Magee’s tables under surveillance.

Even Split
Edith Sanderson, prosecuting at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court, told how CCTV clearly showed Magee fixing spins by planting the ball into black 28.

When police arrested and quizzed Butters she admitted Magee and Strachan planned to fix the game and split the winnings.

The court heard ex-heroin junkie and mum-of-one Strachan tested positive for cocaine on her arrest. She admitted a charge of theft.

Staying in
Magee, now jobless, and Butters, who earns £175 a week, pleaded guilty to theft from their employer and were both given 16-week jail sentences, suspended for 18 months. During that time, they must carry out 140 hours community service.

Strachan was given a 12-month community order with supervision as well as a 28-day dusk-till-dawn curfew.

All three were ordered to pay £260 compensation to the casino.