A paramedic has admitted stealing 'at least £75,000-worth' of equipment from Manchester City over four years while working at the Etihad stadium on the matchday medical team.
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) employee David McNally, 47, flogged football boots; medical equipment; and branded kits and tracksuits on eBay, making £24,676 over several years.
He also admitted stealing valuable memorabilia - including eight signed men’s first team football shirts valued at £1,000 each; a signed banner from their 2021/22 Champion’s League campaign; and ‘personalised football boots’ made for Sergio Aguero.
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Suspicions were aroused when one of the women’s player’s tracksuits went missing in February 2023. McNally was identified as a suspect following trawls of CCTV. Upon further investigation, club security found an eBay account belonging to McNally selling ‘a number of Manchester City items’ stolen over a period of four years.
Police were informed and a warrant was carried out at McNally’s house. Officers found a ‘large quantity’ of items including holdalls, football kits, football boots and nutrition equipment.
Cops also found a signed banner from City’s 2021/22 Champions League campaign and personalised football boots made for first team players at his property.
Appearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Wednesday (December 11), McNally pleaded guilty to theft.
Prosecuting, Steve Woodman said the total value of items reached nearly £100,000, including profits made from eBay. Representing McNally, Kirsty Cobey said the figure was incorrect and that the items in his house and those sold online totalled £75,000.
"This is clearly quite a breach of trust over a significant period of time," Mr Woodman told magistrates. "The security team said that the items stolen included massage guns, compression pads, eight signed shirts with a value of £8,000 in total, one City banner that was used in the changing rooms in the 2021/22 Champion’s League campaign, signed by the team.
"They were wondering where it had gone, and it was found at his house. There were also bespoke football boots for players such as Sergio Aguero and Aymeric Laporte."
Mitigating, Ms Cobey said McNally was a man of previous good character who ‘worked as a paramedic with no blemishes on his record for over 15 years’.
Chair of the bench Matthew Ainsworth adjourned the hearing for a pre-sentence report to be prepared. He warned McNally his case could still be dealt with at the Crown Court and that he could face a jail sentence.
David McNally, of Cherry Tree Way, Helmshore, Lancashire, will next appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on February 11, 2025.