A serial Fife thief who took a Covid-19 test centre worker’s missing bank card on a spending spree has been jailed.
Ryan Bouglas found the pandemic worker’s wallet with his bank card, ID and £25 cash inside while he was working at the test centre outside Kirkcaldy’s Town House on November 8.
The Covid-19 mobile operative explained to police he had had the wallet in his pocket when he entered Town House at 9.30am as he and his team were setting up for the day.
He noticed it was gone when he finished for the day.
Over the course of Mr Strachan’s shift, 35-year-old Bouglas used the card’s contactless feature to buy items at the Esso garage in Abbotshall Road, the David and Sons store on Harcourt Road, the Day Today branch on Wilson Avenue, the U-Save on Valley Gardens and at Sidlaw Grocers in Sidlaw Street.
In total, Bouglas stole £205.65 from Mr Strachan and none of the goods purchased with his card were recovered.
‘In a desperate place’
Bouglas, of Links Street in Kirkcaldy, admitted finding and stealing the wallet and making no attempt to trace its owner, as well as to using it fraudulently on seven separate transactions.
He later told police: “I was in a desperate place. At the time I had no money.”
Bouglas appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court by video link and was sentenced to 108 days in jail.
Sheriff Timothy Niven-Smith pointed out drug addict Bouglas had 55 previous convictions, 26 for crimes of dishonesty.
Bouglas’ solicitor said: “His reply to caution and charge just about sums it up.
“He was sitting with no electric and gas. It certainly wasn’t a lavish lifestyle.
“He was a drug user at the time.
“He’s managed to stabilise his position in terms of drug use.
“It seems to be that his offending is primarily theft.”
