A “sickening” thief from Forfar who took money for Facebook Marketplace sales that never happened put his ill-gotten gains into investment accounts.
“Greedy” Daniel Tait was ordered to cough up compensation at Forfar Sheriff Court after admitting the thefts.
The 28-year-old raked in almost £1,400 by inducing unsuspecting punters to part with their cash for wheels, camera kit and a fishpond heat pump he never delivered.
The callous crook then moaned to social workers he had been the victim of a similar crime in the past.
He was placed under a six-month curfew, with a break in July so he can go on a ten-day holiday to Spain, paid for by his mother and partner.
A sentencing sheriff told father-of-one Tait, of Glenogil Terrace in Forfar he was “entirely satisfied” the custody threshold had been met but imposed the community-based alternative.
Facebook opportunist
Tait had initially been charged with a string of frauds but pled guilty to five charges of theft after inducing payment without delivery between November 2020 and January 2021 for:
- £450 of wheels;
- a £270 heat pump for a Koi carp fish pond;
- £350 of wheels;
- £220 of video recording equipment;
- £100 of video recording equipment.
Fiscal depute Sam Craib told the court: “They engaged in conversation over Messenger on Facebook.”
Tait’s solicitor Keith Sym said his client had offered one victim their money back – understood to be over a GoPro “sale” – but by that stage police proceedings were under way.
He said: “I think it has been placed in an account with other funds.
“The amounts were never spent. He’s saved up monies over time. He invested the money.
“He is in a position to repay. All these people will get compensated.
“It’s quite clear that these funds would have risen in value, had they been invested.”
Mechanism for money
Mr Sym said the first theft came when, following a legitimate sale, Tait received a better offer.
“The person had already sent the money,” he said.
“He realised this was a mechanism that could make him money.
“He accepts he was greedy. He disclosed that at the time of these offences, life was awful.
“He also has been on medication for his mental health, which he wasn’t taking at the time.
“These offences were committed to obtain money but the money wasn’t used thereafter.
“He is seeking to set up a business. He’s hoping to obtain garage premises.
“I would suggest Your Lordship hit him in the pocket, as he did to the victims.
“His life is more stable. He realises he’s got to pay for these terrible errors he’s made.
“This is very serious, he’s not in doubt of that. It’s a large sum of money taken from five individuals.”
‘Quite sickening, really’
Sheriff Derek Reekie labelled Tait’s offending as “singularly unpleasant conduct.”
As well as the 7pm to 7am curfew, he ordered Tait to pay compensation above and beyond what he stole from each victim – a total of £1,725.
He told Tait: “You seem to have expressed to the author of the social work report that you’ve been a victim of something similar and you were annoyed and feel taken advantage of.
“You can perhaps start to feel how these people feel.
“I’m entirely satisfied that the custody threshold is met.
“It adds to the unpleasantness of this that you here have funds invested in various accounts.
“I’m trying to find the appropriate word – quite sickening really, I think.
“There is a need for an alternative to custody.”
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