A kitchen porter stole more than £300 of perfume from a Perth store because he feared he was going to be evicted.
Florin Obreja had fallen into arrears with his rent and took the fragrances from Debenhams on Perth’s High Street on October 15. The perfumes were not recovered.
He admitted stealing a quantity of perfume during an appearance at Perth Sheriff Court.
Fiscal depute Stuart Richardson said Obreja had been observed on CCTV walking out the door with the fragrances.
Solicitor Billy Somerville, defending, said Obreja has only moved to the UK around a year ago and was working as a kitchen porter.
“He had hoped it would be full time, but it’s only part time,” Mr Somerville said.
“He is in financial difficulties he was in arrears and didn’t know what to do. He thought he would be evicted immediately. I have explained to him that court proceedings would have to take place first.”
He added that Obreja’s grasp of English was sufficient to allow him to carry out community service work.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis said he did not want to impose a financial penalty on Obreja because he did not want to risk him carrying out a further offence to pay it.
Instead he ordered Obreja to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work.
He also ordered Obreja, of Dunkeld Road, Perth, to pay £304 in compensation.