A care home manager from Ammanford whose job involved supporting people with brain injuries stole nearly £17,000 from the company, a court has heard.

Jason Cousins, of Tirydail Lane, ran the Tracscare care home in James Street, Pontardawe, where he was the sole signatory of the company cheque book, Swansea Crown Court was told.

Cousins has been told he has until Janauary to repay the full amount stolen or face a certain jail sentence.

The court heard how discrepancies in the home’s accounts were spotted at the company’s head office and an internal investigation was subsequently launched.

Auditors discovered £16,854 was missing from the home’s accounts.

When accused of the theft, Cousins confessed.

Francis Jones, prosecuting, told a sentencing hearing last week how the discrepancies became apparent to the company’s accounts department in the summer of 2014.

Cousins was initially able to explain away the differences, but a full investigation was launched in February and the police were eventually called in.

Cousins, who pleaded guilty to theft at an earlier hearing, claimed that his problems began when he cashed a £750 company cheque, but lost the money.

He told officers that it “fell out of his pocket” on his way home from the bank, Mr Jones told the court.

Cousins said that he then began gambling in a bid to repay the lost money.

He also developed a drinking problem.

Ian Wright, defending, told the court that Cousins now worked selling insurance and was keen to repay the money.

Cousins and his partner – who knew nothing of the thefts – were about to remortgage their home to help pay off the debt.

Judge Peter Heywood said he would consider a suspended jail term provided Cousins repaid the amount in full.

Adjourning the case until January 15, Mr Heywood said: “If it is not paid in full, it will be an immediate custodial sentence.”