A real-life Grinch helped himself to tanning lotion from an unlocked car in a bizarre Christmas Day raid.
Simon Robertson, 41, had not committed a crime of dishonesty in more than 16 years when he pilfered the cream from a parked Jaguar on Americanmuir Road in Dundee.
The city’s sheriff court heard the vehicle had been left unsecured on December 25, near Robertson’s own home in the same street, allowing him to pinch the lotion, a sunglasses case and a purse and contents.
He still had his ill-gotten loot when police caught him.
Robertson, who has previous convictions including the assault of two police officers with a baseball bat, appeared from custody at Dundee Sheriff Court and admitted the thefts.
Defence solicitor Jim Laverty, in mitigation, said Christmas was a difficult time for his client following a family tragedy a number of years ago.
“He does have a record, but his last offence of dishonesty was in 2006.
“He appears to have been recently self-medicating, following tragic circumstances on Christmas Day a number of years ago.”
Sentence was deferred until January 24 to call alongside other matters.
He was granted bail, having spent three days in custody.
Drowning terror
An abusive husband nearly drowned his wife in a Perthshire loch and told her: “Do you want to live or die?” Former BBC worker Paul Brown, 59, from Strathtummel, held his partner’s head underwater during a terrifying assault near his home on the banks of Loch Tummel. Sentence was deferred.
First Aid kit rant
A boozed-up nurse has been fined for becoming aggressive towards pub staff while asking for a first aid kit.
Ashton Hutton, 35, was in The Bruce Arms in Limekilns on a Sunday October 17 2020 when she demanded the kit after a child on the next table fell and cut their leg.
Procurator fiscal depute Amy Robertson told Dunfermline Sheriff Court: “She was described as being unpleasant in tone and generally unpleasant towards bar staff.
“The bar manager tried to calm the situation; however the accused shouted ‘what are you going to do about it?’ at the manager”.
Hutton and her partner were asked to leave but were summoned back to pay an outstanding balance for their drinks.
Ms Robertson continued: “The accused continued to shout, saying ‘you stopped a nurse seeing a first aid kit’ and also stated ‘f**k off you b*****ds, you don’t deserve to get paid, your pub is a s***hole'”.
The court heard one of the pub employees, a 72 year-old man, said to her partner he should take her away and Hutton reacted by pushing him once.
He was off balance and caught by a customer before falling to the ground.
Hutton, of Central Road in Crombie, pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner and behaving in an aggressive manner.
Defence lawyer Amy Harley confirmed her client is a nurse, working part-time, and incident was fuelled by alcohol and mental health difficulties caused by a toxic relationship.
The lawyer said: “It’s entirely out of character”.
Sheriff Lindsay Foulis fined Hutton £700.
Angus obscenity
A one-time aspiring movie director from Angus has been caught with child abuse videos categorised by police as being the most graphic kind. Paedophile Ruari Patterson appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court to admit taking or making indecent photographs of children.
Daylight theft thwarted
A Dundee thief caught raiding a city garage office has been jailed.
Barry Tosh was caught by employees at Dundee MOT Centre on Dura Street, stealing the cash tin in the office.
On June 1, a worker spotted Tosh in the office area and gave chase, while the manager went to check what was missing.
Tosh fled from the office and was seen to be stuffing money down the front of his trousers.
He was caught by the employees who led him back to the yard to await police.
Tosh, 38, tried to escape into a car but was caught again.
The £985 he stole from the office was handed back to staff before he was arrested.
Tosh appeared from custody in Dundee to admit the theft.
Solicitor Theo Findlay said: “There’s nothing stealthy or accomplished. This was in broad daylight.”
Sheriff Charles Lugton jailed Tosh, of Annan Terrace, for 75 days.
Four-decade age gap
There was a four-decade age gap between a Dundonian caught by paedophile hunters and the decoy account he was chatting with. Stephen Duncan was placed on the Sex Offenders Register at Dundee Sheriff Court.
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