A customer services manager at a branch of Mothercare cleared his personal debts by giving himself more than £20,000 in fake refunds.

After Sumier Shah, 38, was arrested and bailed by the police, he went on the run to Liverpool where he accessed the shop's computer and arranged for two Bugaboo pushchairs to be sent to his home.

Prosecutor Edward Hollingsworth told St Albans crown court today that between January and September 2012, Shah made 34 refund transactions to himself totalling £20,156.27.

Shah was arrested in September 2012 by the police and made admissions to the offences. He was bailed but did not return to the police station.

It was only in October this year that Shah, of Westbury Road, Bounds Green, was arrested in Liverpool.

Shah, who appeared via a video link from Bedford jail, pleaded guilty to fraud. He asked for a fraud involving the two pushchairs, each valued at £529, to be taken into consideration. The court was told Shah had one conviction for joyriding his father's car in 1997 when he was convicted of aggravated vehicle taking, having no insurance and no driving licence.

Defence Ali Dewji said Shah, who was earning £24,000 as a manager at the store in Watford, had accumulated debts before working for Mothercare.

He said: "He has no relevant convictions and has expressed his remorse. He is deeply embarrassed by his conduct. It was a catastrophic mistake."

Mr Dewji said Shah wanted to repay the money to Mothercare and asked for a suspended sentence to be passed.

Judge Martin Griffith agreed and passed a 12-month jail sentence suspended for two years, with two years' supervision and 250 hours' unpaid work.

The judge told Shah: "What you did was a gross breach of trust. You could have no complaint if you went back to prison today. If you come back before me I will start the sentence at 12 months and it will go up from there. Do you understand?"

Shah replied: "I do understand your honour."