An Amazon worker was rumbled stealing iPhones with a combined value of £2,618 while he worked at the online retailer’s Dunfermline depot.
Michael England was a picker at the giant fulfilment centre – taking customer orders on a handset and collecting them for distribution.
Suspicions were raised about him by fellow workers and the thefts were uncovered.
England, 39, previously pled guilty at Dunfermline Sheriff Court and appeared for sentencing last week.
He claimed he was part of an “enterprise” and his role was to move the phones to a different part of the warehouse.
Claimed phone was his
Prosecutor Amy Robertson told the court two fellow employees brought England into an investigation disciplinary meeting, where he was informed of complaints about items going missing during his shift.
The fiscal depute said: “He was asked in the meeting to empty his pockets and he removed a silver iPhone 13.
“It was contained in a clear case and described by one of the employees as appearing to look brand new.
“He claimed the phone belonged to him and was asked by another employee who the last person on the call log would be and the accused claimed to have no idea.
“He was asked to unlock the phone and bring up a photo to validate that it belonged to him.
“He attempted to turn it on and claimed the battery died.
“When it was put to the accused there were reports of different phones going missing while he was on shift, he said he had nothing to say.
“He indicated after that he would not be able to prove the mobile phone belonged to him.”
During the same disciplinary meeting, it was identified an iPhone 14 had gone missing on the same date.
The fiscal depute said CCTV showed England had “removed a similar phone from his person” while exiting the premises that day.
Ms Robertson said each stolen phone was valued at £1,309.
Staff decided to contact police and England was later arrested and charged.
England, who now works as a bus driver, pled guilty to the March 31 2023 thefts.
Criminal ‘enterprise’
Defence lawyer Graham Inch said he understands both phones were recovered in a sellable state.
The solicitor said: “He (England) advises me that Amazon will resell pretty much anything.”
Mr Inch said England, of Valley Gardens, Kirkcaldy, became involved in an “enterprise” on the site.
He said he “accepts responsibility moving items from one part of the warehouse, a more secure area, to a different part of the warehouse” and accepts this is, legally, theft.
Sheriff Garry Sutherland sentenced England to 140 hours of unpaid work.
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