A Fife grandmother who stole £5,000 worth of phones and smartwatches on the job at Amazon – then binned them – has been told to carry out unpaid work.
Gwen Ferguson began to pilfer the gadgets after falling out with colleagues in the high-value returns department at the depot in Dunfermline.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard previously part of her role was to investigate thefts internally.
The 57-year-old, of Sauchie Street in Kinglassie, appeared for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to stealing the items while in the course of her employment between February 22 and September 22 2022.
Sheriff Robert More pointed out Ferguson has a directly analogous previous conviction and sentenced her to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, reduced from 120 hours due to her early plea, and stressed this was a direct alternative to prison.
Binned goods in Glenrothes
Prosecutor Ronnie Hay told the court previously Ferguson had spent about two years working in the high value returns department.
An open mobile phone box was spotted by a staff member and the Samsung Galaxy phone which should have been inside was missing.
A data check was carried out and CCTV reviewed within the department implicated Ferguson.
The court heard Ferguson accepts stealing five mobile phones and smartwatches from the company with an approximate value of £5,000.
Speaking at this earlier hearing, defence lawyer Calum Harris said: “She does regret her activity – she puts it down to frustration.
“Her role within the high value returns department, or one part of her role at least, was trying to investigate potential thefts from that department.
“She had been involved in this for a number of years… and became frustrated and fell out with other members of staff and as a result has acted in the way she has.
“(It was) not out of spite so much as frustration.
“It wasn’t done out of necessity.
“The ultimate end for the phones, in her reply to caution and charge, was that she disposed of them in a bin in Glenrothes.
“It’s an unusual position and one she regrets, not only as a mother but a grandmother.”
Amazon claims
The court also heard Amazon initially pinned the blame on Ferguson for £130,000 worth of thefts, although CCTV disproved this.
Mr Harris said this allegation was “astronomical in comparison” and that Amazon had initially blamed his client for every theft over that time period.
The lawyer said she is in employment but not with Amazon.
She now works in a warehouse which manufactures electric car parts in Lochgelly.
Speaking at her sentencing following the production of Ferguson’s background reports, Mr Harris said his client had not been able to tell the social worker her motivation for the thefts but does accept she committed them.
He said her previous conviction was from “some time ago”.
The lawyer said: “She is embarrassed and ashamed of being here again today”.
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