An Angus teenager who stashed stolen Commonwealth Games bunting under his floorboards has been detained for 60 days.
Leon Eccles had not actually stolen the flags from the streets of Brechin last summer but knew he would be in trouble if he was caught with the bunting and when police arrived at his door with a search warrant he came clean.
The 19-year-old is now serving a sentence of detention and appeared handcuffed in the dock at Forfar before Sheriff Pino Di Emidio.
Eccles, of Montrose Street, Brechin, pleaded guilty to the reset of a quantity of bunting at his home address between June 20 and August 18 last year after it had been appropriated by theft.
He was on bail at the time.
Depute fiscal Hannah Kennedy told the court the bunting had been put up as part of the celebrations to welcome the Commonwealth Games baton relay to the town on June 28 on its journey through Angus.
“A quantity of that bunting was stolen and on August 18 officers attended the accused’s home in execution of a property search warrant,” she said.
“Underneath the floorboards they found the bunting, which had a value of £120.
“The accused acknowledged he had reset the bunting and named the individual that he suspected had stolen it.”
Eccles’ solicitor Emma Somerville said: “He fully appreciates this behaviour was completely unacceptable.
“Unfortunately this was one of a long line of offences he was carrying out around the summer of 2014.
“He advises that it was a case of getting in with the wrong crowd and he is trying to turn that around.”
She said Eccles is in Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution and is due for release next January.
“He apologises to the court for his behaviour,” Ms Somerville added.
Sheriff Di Emidio imposed a 60-day term, reduced from 90 days in view of the timing of Eccles’ plea, which will run from the expiry of the sentence he is serving.