A teenage Angus charity box thief has been made the subject of a 12-hour night curfew by a sheriff after his stone-throwing attack on another local business.
The 17-year-old was already on a high tariff deferred sentence for pinching the RNLI tin from Arbroath’s Marina chippie on June 3 in a crime which outraged the harbour community.
He also broke bail by failing to sign on at Arbroath police station, and was back in the dock at Forfar Sheriff Court having also previously admitted breaking into Zig Zak on Millgate, Arbroath on May 23 with intent to steal.
Depute fiscal Jill Drummond said police received a call of an alarm operating at the premises just before 7am and on their way there saw the accused and a female walking nearby.
A glass panel at the premises had been broken by a small rock.
CCTV was reviewed and the teenager was clearly seen entering the computer shop.
When police went to his door just after 9 o’clock, the youth still had on the hoodie he was caught on camera wearing.
Defence solicitor Nick Markowski said alcohol and Valium had been a feature of the teenager’s life around the time of his spate of offending.
“He’s a young man and the high tariff was put in place to try to keep him out of trouble,” he told the court.
“It seems to have been successful and he has not reverted to the same peer group.
“He has also been going up and down to Alloa, where he may eventually return to, but he appreciates these offences are serious.”
Sheriff Gregor Murray told the teen: “Any person, no matter how old, who pleads guilty to three housebreakings or the equivalent in one year probably deserves to go to jail.
“However, the court is discouraged from sending someone of your age to jail and positives have emerged from the high tariff deferred sentence.
“I will continue that for two weeks for a further review and impose a curfew requiring you to stay in your home between 7pm and 7am.
“Do not ask social workers for money to go to Alloa, and do not turn up for appointments with them under the influence of some substance,” the sheriff warned him.
