An Arbroath man has been jailed for six months after he admitted stealing a purse from an 82-year-old woman who allowed him into her home to make a phone call.
The Good Samaritan found 34-year-old Jamie William Stewart sitting on the kerb near to her home on Eastgate Crescent in Friockheim on August 26.
The pensioner noticed Stewart, of Sidney Street, Arbroath, was in a distressed state and offered the use of her mobile phone. When that did not work, she invited him into her house to use the landline.
Depute fiscal John Adams told Forfar Sheriff Court: “The accused sat on the sofa across from the woman’s husband while the woman emptied her shopping and put her brown leather purse in a set of drawers in the living room.
“The woman then made the accused a cup of tea. When he was given this he asked for more milk so she left the living room again. While the tea was being made the accused stood up and moved to the back of the room where the set of drawers was located.
“The husband thought he was just going to look out the window and didn’t see him remove the purse. The accused then returned to the sofa, finished his tea and left shortly afterwards.”
The couple quickly realised the purse was missing. However, the identity of the thief was not hard to establish because he had left a carrier bag containing medication with his name on it in the lounge.
“Police found the accused in possession of £150 in cash,” Mr Adams added. “He said he had withdrawn it from a cash machine, but couldn’t produce a bank card. The brown purse was found beneath his underwear.”
Defence agent Billy Rennie said Stewart, who appeared from custody, had little recollection of the offence.
He said: “Mr Stewart is very aware that this will be viewed as a shameful act and he does express his shame at the offence.
“He tells me he was under the influence of valium and he recalls little about the incident. He was also without one of his shoes, so there appears to be a background before this incident.”
Mr Rennie added that his client had long-standing problems with alcohol and drugs but his rate of offending had declined this year.
Sheriff Pino Di Emidio said there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.
He told Stewart: “You have pled guilty to stealing a purse and its contents from an elderly lady within her own house.
“The lady had been kind enough to provide assistance to you but you decided to commit an opportunistic crime.
“Had it not been for your plea I would have sentenced you to eight months imprisonment. This will be reduced to six months.”