INVERNESS SHERIFF COURT: Booze, headphones and confectionary stolen during crime spree
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A homeless man embarked on a 15-month crime spree in Inverness by committing 10 offences between July last year and October this year.
Liam Macdonald admitted all the offences, including three of fraud, two of theft, four of shoplifting and one bail breach when he appeared by video link at Inverness Sheriff Court after being remanded in custody last week.
Defence solicitor Ken Ferguson told Sheriff Ian Cruickshank that his client had been addicted to drugs "for a number of years and he has reached the stage in life that he would wish to be assessed for a drug treatment and testing order assessment".
Sentence was deferred until December 1 for the initial assessment to be carried out. He was again remanded in custody. If he is deemed suitable for such an order, he will be released on bail for the second stage to be completed.
The 32-year-old began his offending in Inverness on July 10, 2021 when he pretended to a Bank of Scotland teller in Inverness that he was another person and obtained £75 by fraud.
There was a spell where his offending in the city stopped but he resumed his dishonest lifestyle in the Highland capital on February 6 this year.
He found a bank card in the city centre and used it twice in the BP garage in the Longman and WH Smith's at the railway station to obtain goods including tobacco and scratch cards totalling £97.99.
On June 12, 2022, police had arrested Macdonald on other matters and found a small quantity of Class C drug Bromazolam when he was searched in Burnett Road police station.
On June 16, 2022, he stole a mobile phone in Wetherspoons in Inverness before shoplifting a week later at the Smyths toy store where he took headphones and other radio communication devices.
Then on June 19, he stole alcohol, razor blades and confectionery from the Montague Row Spar store and the Co-op in Church Street.
His thieving ended on October 25 when he was arrested for stealing clothing from Primark in Bridge Street.
