Lover's sweet dreams turn sour

IT IS the stuff of chocoholics' dreams - eight lorry loads of stolen Mars Bars, a lovenest in the country and a swish, convertible car.

But the plot by a warehouse supervisor to fund a luxurious lifestyle for himself and his girlfriend by stealing a "mountain of chocolate" turned sour when his greed gave him away, it is alleged.

Gloucester Crown Court was told yesterday that Martin Keys stole chocolate worth more that pounds 500,000 and sold it to "people who don't ask questions". His plan came unstuck when, having disposed of eight lorry loads, he became too greedy and returned for a ninth.

Simon Brand, for the prosecution, told the jury: "This story concerns chocolate, the theft of chocolate, a lot of chocolate... a mountain of chocolate. It was paradise for those of us who are chocoholics. But it was also property worth a great deal of money. Each time one of those lorry loads was stolen it represented almost pounds 70,000 worth of chocolate at retail prices."

Mr Brand said Mr Keys had been flashing large amounts of cash around, taking pounds 21,000 in a carrier bag to buy a Saab convertible. He also allegedly took pounds 52,000 in cash to a solicitor's office as part payment for a "very nice house" he bought for his girlfriend, Emma Smiley, at Stow on the Wold, Glouces- tershire.

Mr Keys, 31, of Stow on the Wold, denies conspiracy to steal confectionery from Mars distributors Tibbet and Britten of Bicester, Oxfordshire, between July 1996 and April last year. He also denies two charges of stealing confectionery and one of attempted theft.

Ms Smiley, 25, of Bicester, denies two charges of money laundering. She pleaded not guilty to assisting Mr Keys to retain the benefit of crime by accepting a payment of pounds 54,750 into her bank account and by allowing the pounds 165,000 cottage to be bought in her name.

Mr Brand said Mr Keys used his position of trust as a manager to manipulate the company's computer system. Eight articulated lorries were hired to collect the chocolate bars, which were then taken to a warehouse in West Bromwich in the Midlands. Then a fleet of small vans took them away.

The trial continues today.