A SECURITY guard for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) who once saved the life of an Iranian delegate admitted to stealing over £26,000 of equipment from work.

Samer Al-Haddad, 38, of Winterbourne Close, Bicester, was a security guard for the Governmental body based at their headquarters in Whitehall, London, when he was caught stealing valuable camera equipment and iPads from his colleague’s lockers for over two years.

He was finally caught when an RAF photography officer set up a hidden camera and caught the security guard in action attempting to steal from his locker.

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The father-of-two was charged with one count of theft by employee after stealing a total of £26,750 of equipment between June 7, 2021 and August 10, 2023.

He was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday (April 11) to 21 months imprisonment, suspended for two years.

During the proceedings, it was heard Al-Haddad had first worked for the MOD in 2008 at the Bicester office before being promoted to a supervisor position in 2018 and moving to the London office.

In August 2023, the RAF photography officer set up the hidden camera after being a victim of the ongoing thefts and a month later he caught Al-Haddad going through his locker.

On September 7, 2023, officers attended his address and all the stolen items were located and recovered.

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Al-Haddad pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and has been suspended from work though the court heard it was ‘very likely’ he would lose his job.

 Defending the security guard, his barrister stated that he was a man of good character and had received two references from his colleagues despite the charge.

They said that Al-Haddad had once helped an Iranian delegate who had suffered from a heart attack on a visit to the MOD and on a second occasion assisted a Sudan refugee who had collapsed on the steps of the building.

It was also heard that he had suffered a difficult childhood as he grew up in Baghdad during the 2003 Iraq war.

Sentencing Al-Haddad, Judge Michael Gledhill said: “You came to this country from Iraq when you were 12 having lived through the Iraq war.

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“Many, many people suffered in the Iraq war including your own family, your mother. No doubt you have suffered a great amount of trauma and stress.

“But your mother hasn’t gone out stealing people’s cameras and other equipment so why did you? I find that a very difficult question to answer.”

The judge ordered him to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, eight rehabilitation activity days and six months of mental health treatment.