An Angus woman who stole £23,000 of money and jewellery from a friend had previously fallen victim to one of Scotland’s biggest conmen, it has emerged.
First-time offender Susan Beattie, 42, from Carnoustie, was spared jail on Thursday at Forfar Sheriff Court and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work instead.
Beattie broke into Michelle Sales’ Monifieth home and made off with £8,000 in cash and a cache of jewellery which her friend had kept hidden away in her bedroom.
However, Beattie was a victim herself, 10 years ago, when she fell for the lies of lonely hearts conman Steve McKenzie dubbed King Rat.
McKenzie, who died two years ago, was jailed for 40 months in 2006 for fleecing his former lovers out of a fortune after four ex-wives and girlfriends, including Beattie, reported his deeds.
He tricked the women he met through lonely hearts columns into believing he was a successful businessman who owned an equestrian centre.
McKenzie claimed he played polo with princes William and Harry and his lies convinced them to hand over large sums of money.
Detectives suspected the serial seducer may have conned £500,000 out of 40 women across Scotland.
Beattie was McKenzie’s fourth wife and married him in June 2004.
Despite bragging of the high life, McKenzie actually lived on the dole in a one-bedroom flat in Glenrothes and the marriage lasted just a month.
They rowed constantly on honeymoon and he asked her how much her house was worth and how much her employers would pay out in life insurance if she died.
Beattie packed her bags when she returned but McKenzie lied that he had cancer and she was duped into going back to his house.
She left again after discovering he was engaged to another woman whose wedding money he had used to pay for their Mauritius honeymoon.
Beattie got in touch with his fiancee and both women realised they had been tricked. They soon found out that another six women were, or had been, in relationships with McKenzie.
McKenzie was married five times and had eight children. He died two years ago from a heart attack.
He admitted swindling two women and conning them and a string of firms out of £60,000 after pleading guilty to five out of nine charges at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court eight years ago.
His victims ranged from policewomen and businesswomen to an 84-year-old grandmother.
Beattie was found guilty in July despite denying breaking into her friend’s house between October 10 and 25 last year.
Ms Sales, 49, returned to Ashludie Steadings after a two-week family trip to Lanzarote to find one of her window panes missing along with valuable belongings from her bedroom.
Beattie was found guilty of the break-in and theft after Sheriff Pino Di Emidio found her evidence was “not reliable”.
The court heard the offence followed a friendship that had waxed and waned over 10 years, and immediately followed a breakdown in trust.
The jewellery was found during a police search at Beattie’s Kinloch Street home on November 5 but officers were unable to find the money.
She had claimed her former friend had intended to commit insurance fraud and “panicked” when police came to investigate the theft.
Beattie was unable to be reached at her Angus home for comment.