A homeless man who was taken in by a couple repaid their generosity by robbing them of almost £3,000.
Frederick Spindler had been living with the Perth couple for months before they realised he was emptying their joint bank account.
Perth Sheriff Court heard that Spindler took cheques and used them to obtain hundreds of pounds on several occasions.
The 22-year-old then spent the money on settling debts and paying bills, as well as treating himself to nights out, new clothes and alcohol.
His greed got the best of him, however, and his actions came to light when the couple’s bank informed them to their surprise that their account was overdrawn.
Following checks by the family the police were contacted. After investigations by officers and the bank, suspicion fell on Spindler.
He later admitted to officers that he was responsible for taking the money, and on Wednesday was sentenced in connection with 19 charges.
Depute fiscal Carol Whyte said: ”He had taken the cheques and used them to transfer money into his own account … The accused provided police officers with copies of his bank statements, detailing the sums transferred using the cheques.”
Following the investigation, the couple received payment for the amount stolen £2,839.41 from Lloyds TSB bank.
Defence agent Cheryl Clark said her client was ”all too aware” of the seriousness of the offence and accepted that he had ”taken advantage” of the people who gave him a place to stay.
According to Ms Clark, Spindler has spent the last few months finding employment and has saved money to be used to pay back Lloyds TSB in full.
In an attempt to turn over a new leaf, he has also returned home to his mother’s house and has started a college course in Edinburgh, which will finish in April next year.
”He is hopeful of finding employment after that, but is all too aware that convictions of this nature will certainly impact on that,” Ms Clark continued.
”He knows he has not only hurt the people involved, but has also hurt himself with lost employment prospects. His parents have also made their feelings clear to him and they are extremely upset and disappointed.”
Spindler, of Croft Wynd, Milnathort, admitted that between November 1 2010 and February 18 this year, at Cornhill Road, Perth, he stole a bank card. He also admitted that, at the same location, on November 18 and December 17 of 2010 and January 13 and 27 this year, he obtained goods from Vodafone with a total value of £215.
The accused admitted a further 14 charges that alleged on various dates between January 17 and February 15, at Lloyds TSB Bank and St John’s Centre in Perth, he presented cheques with forged signatures and received a total of £2,614.35 by fraud.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis ordered the accused to pay back the total sum stolen from the couple and imposed a community payback order which includes 200 hours’ unpaid work.
He said: ”This is a situation where you have breached people’s trust and that trust was breached not once, but on numerous occasions over a period of three months with significant funds appropriated.”