A schoolboy tracked down his stolen Apple Airpods to a Cash Converters store, after confronting the thief on his doorstep.
The 14-year-old turned detective after his sought-after earbuds were swiped from the David Lloyd gym in Monifieth.
Forfar Sheriff Court heard the youngster used a built-in tracking device to locate the pods at a house in Broughty Ferry.
But the occupant Richard Grieve told the boy he didn’t know what he was talking about.
Later, the teenager used the tracking app again and found his Airpods were being offered for sale at a nearby Cash Converter branch.
Tracking app
A solicitor for 36-year-old Grieve attended court on Thursday and tendered a plea of guilty to a charge of theft on January 20.
The case was heard in Grieve’s absence.
Solicitor Keith Sim, defending, said: “The position is that Mr Grieve found these Airpods in the changing room at the David Lloyd gym.
“He picked them up and took them home.”
He said: “The pods were owned by a 14-year-old boy who tracked them through the Find My Phone app to Mr Grieve’s home address, where he lives with his grandparents.
“Mr Grieve denied all knowledge.
“And then he got rid of them by selling them.”
Mr Sim said: “Again, the tracking app was used and the young man found his Airpods at a Cash Converters.
“Staff at the shop returned them to him, so there was no ultimate loss to the complainer.”
Background of substance misuse
The court heard that the earbuds may have fallen out of the boy’s rucksack, when they were placed in a gym locker that wasn’t secure.
Grieve, of Castleroy Road, Broughty Ferry, had battled substance misuse and mental health issues, said Mr Sim.
“He has kept himself out of trouble until this happened,” said Mr Sim.
“If he had answered the door and simply said ‘yes, I’ve got them. I picked them up,’ then the matter maybe wouldn’t have been reported to police.”
Sheriff Jillian Martin-Brown deferred sentence until June 23 for background reports.
