A cash courier who stole more than GBP 100,000 while his security firm was short-staffed for Christmas has been jailed for two years.

German judges were told that the defendant – named only as Cem M. – had been inspired by an earlier EUR 1 million heist from the same money trucking firm.

Prosecutors in Stuttgart said Cem T. had taken advantage of the long break to steal EUR 135,000 (GBP 115,000) in banknotes – on Christmas Eve last year.

The court heard how Turkish-born Cem T. had been inspired by the earlier theft from money truckers Prosegur just weeks earlier.

In October, OnlyFans model Mirnesa S. had walked off with EUR 1.25 (GBP 1.07) million by simply stuffing the banknotes into her rucksack.

The 43-year-old tattooed platinum blonde was sentenced to three years behind bars last month (July) and the cash was never recovered.

Her boyfriend – who drove the getaway car and masterminded the raid – is still on the run.

In court, she admitted: “I keep asking myself how I could have been so dumb. As soon as I sat in the car, I had regrets.”

Copycat Cem M. – his trial heard – took his opportunity when he realised that tough extra security measures to thwart future thefts had not been put in place.

As an insider, he knew that extra security cameras had not been installed.

And Cem T. could coolly blag his way through security by simply claiming he had left his computer-chipped pass behind.

One security expert from the company told the court: “Knowing the routine procedures has certainly made stealing the money an easy thing for him to do.”

Cem M. hid the cash under layers of thick winter clothing and simply walked out of the building.

His lawyer Werner Haimayer is appealing the sentence saying the jail term should be suspended because Cem T. has found work in a restaurant.

He told local media: “He just found a job in gastronomy. A prison term would demolish all his efforts. I’m optimistic as far as our appeal is concerned.”