A sneak thief high on a powerful drug swiped a cash-filled jar from a Forfar couple’s home at 7am – then poured its contents into the coin machine at the town’s Tesco store less than an hour later.
Opportunist Joseph Bryden had spotted the chance presented by an open door at a property in Glamis Road to take a purse and the jar while the female householder dozed, Forfar Sheriff Court heard.
The woman’s husband had left for work just after 5am but didn’t lock the door. She realised something was wrong when she heard the front door slamming.
Bryden, 37, of Traill Terrace, Montrose appeared for sentence having admitted the theft from the Forfar property in March this year, and theft by finding of a set of car keys in West Hemming Street, Letham.
Depute fiscal Stewart Duncan said that in the Forfar incident the woman had left her bag, containing the purse, on the kitchen table the previous night.
“Her husband went to work but didn’t lock the door and about 7am she heard the front door slamming shut, which alarmed her,” said the fiscal.
“She noticed the bag had been moved and the purse was gone.”
Just before 8am, Bryden went to Tesco in Forfar and was seen to pour money from a jar into the store’s Coinstar machine, receiving a voucher for £47.61.
The victim had also re-traced her steps to Tesco, where she thought she had left her purse during a previous visit.
She discovered she had been the victim of the sneak-in theft and called police.
Bryden was found by officer under the influence of an unknown substance some hours later and had the woman’s bank cards and driving licence.
He was also in possession of a set of car keys which the court heard had been in the pocket of a man in Letham around 3pm on March 27, but when he returned home he couldn’t find them.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said Bryden had limited recollection of the Forfar theft.
He said: “He had just returned from England, where he had been homeless for a time, and was suffering from acute drug addiction difficulties.
“Both these offences are opportunistic. He had been staggering around Forfar under the influence and passed the house in Glamis Road.
“He has made some progress since this, he has his own tenancy in Montrose and is undertaking voluntary work for a church there off his own back.
“He apologises and is embarrassed and ashamed over these offences. When he is not taking drugs he realises the effect offences like these will have on the victims.”
Sherff Jillian Martin-Brown imposed a one-year Community Payback Order with supervision and programme requirements, and ordered Bryden to carry out 65 hours unpaid work.
