A Tayside couple were left £4,000 out of pocket after a nightmare neighbour stole their electricity.
Leslie Pirie’s crime was uncovered after he managed to infiltrate the supply which was disguised behind a picture frame.
The 51-year-old has now been ordered to pay compensation after he admitted stealing from his neighbours on Lundin Crescent, Tayport.
Dundee Sheriff Court was told how Pirie, a Fife Council tenant, used Henley blocks – to split the meter tails coming into a property and feed more than one unit – to access the electricity for his three-bedroom home.
Prosecutor Kate Scarborough said: “On July 18 2017, the complainers had a meter fitted via smart meter to keep aware of the amounts of electricity used and top-up payments.
“An investigation found Henley blocks within the accused’s property behind a picture frame.
“When it was moved, it revealed a portion of dry wall was cut out and that’s where the blocks were fitted.”
The blocks were removed following a visit by Fife Council in 2020.
Compensation
Pirie pled guilty on the day he was due to stand trial to stealing electricity to the value of £4,000 between July 18 2017 and August 20 2020.
It was confirmed the couple bore the loss, rather than their energy supplier.
“I suspect the money has not been reimbursed and they are effectively out of pocket,” defence solicitor John Boyle said.
“Mr Pirie has been of good behaviour since 2020. They still remain neighbours.
“They’re not on particularly good terms but there has not been any incidents between them.”
Mr Boyle said steps are likely to be taken to have benefit recipient Pirie removed from the property, where he has lived alone since the 2010 death of his mother.
He added: “There will be consequences regardless of what occurs today.
“He has certainly expressed a willingness to compensate them for that loss but given his income, this would need to be by way of fairly modest increments.”
Sheriff Morag Fraser admonished Pirie and made a compensation order for £4,000 to be paid at a rate of £40 per month.
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