A Forfar man who stole a mobile phone from a mum while she was adjusting the wheels on her pram has been jailed at the town’s sheriff court.
Russell Gray, 38, of Old Halkerton Rd, admitted stealing the Samsung Galaxy phone on February 25 last year at The Cross in Forfar.
He also admitted that on the same date at Wellbraehead in Forfar, he assaulted a man by striking him on the head with a screwdriver.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond told the court: “The witness left her home address with her son in a pram and her phone tucked under the top of her son’s blanket.
“At around noon she met Gray with another person at The Cross in Forfar. At one point she adjusted the wheels of her pram. After a short period she realised that her phone was missing.
“During the search of the area she observed the accused walking away from the Cheque Centre.
“She went into the shop and asked if anyone had sold a phone matching her description but they said they couldn’t confirm this because of data protection.”
The woman later reported the phone was missing at Forfar Police Office. A police officer attended at the Cheque Centre and found that the phone had been sold by Gray.
Referring to the assault, the depute fiscal said the accused was approached by two men in relation to the theft of the phone later that day.
“The accused went into his rucksack and removed the screwdriver which he used to threaten them,” she said.
“The police were called by others in the vicinity who observed the incident.”
Gray also admitted breaching three community payback orders.
Defence agent Nick Markowski said Gray had previously had problems with drugs but was now clean.
He said: “He lost his father at a young age, got in with the wrong crowd, got involved with drugs and his life unravelled.”
He referred to the mobile phone theft as “opportunistic”.
Mr Markowski continued: “He was there with another person. The phone was taken by the other person and passed to him. The money was then split between the two people.
“Later there was a melee. He stood his ground. That’s in his nature.
“At some point he took out the screwdriver and caused the injury libelled in the complaint. Gray was then assaulted by this person but didn’t report that to the police.”
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio sentenced Gray to 120 days imprisonment for the community payback order breaches and four months imprisonment for his other cases.