A former professional footballer who played alongside David Beckham has been jailed for stealing whisky from an Argyll supermarket.
Kevin Magee – who played for Dundee, Partick Thistle, Livingstone and Preston North End alongside Beckham – went on a shopping spree in Oban for thousands of pounds worth of malt whisky – without paying.
Oban Sheriff Court yesterday heard that Magee, 45, and Iain Arthurs, 42, filled their trolleys with whisky and spirits to the value of £2,478.43 and walked out of the town’s Tesco superstore.
The former winger and his co-accused Arthurs were each jailed for nine months.
They were caught loading the loot into Magee’s car by two plain clothes officers in the store’s car park on July 23.
Their Renault Megane had attracted the attention of a police officer earlier that day after it failed to signal at a junction in Oban town centre.
Fiscal Eoin McGinty told the court: “A quick check revealed the vehicle was reported as being used in connection with high value thefts from supermarkets and other stores.”
It came to light that a man fitting Magee’s description had stolen three bottles of expensive whisky, worth a total of £1,945, from The Green Welly Shop in Tyndrum on July 3.
Appearing from custody yesterday, Magee and Arthurs, both of Deerhill, Broxburn, in Lothian, pleaded guilty to stealing a quantity of alcohol and groceries on July 23.
Their not guilty pleas to a charge of stealing a quantity of wine, spirits, a TV and groceries from the same store on July 9 was accepted.
Magee also pleaded guilty to stealing three bottles of whisky from the Green Welly Shop on July 3.
When approached by police at Tesco car park, Magee stated: “Fair enough, the motor’s full of stuff.”
Mr McGinty said: “At this point Arthurs made off but was detained after a short foot chase.
“Police checked the vehicle and it was full of premium spirits, mostly malt whiskys.
“CCTV in Tesco shows the two accused selecting a significant amount of alcohol and putting it in trolleys. Large crisp bags were then put on top and the trolleys were pushed out.
“When Magee was cautioned and charged he replied, ‘It’s no bad for a day’s work,’. Arthurs made no reply.
“Police made investigations into previous thefts. On July 3 a male matching Magee’s description had gone into The Green Welly Shop and selected very high value bottles of whisky. One was £735, another was £620 and one was £590.”
CCTV in the Green Welly Shop showed Magee speaking to a member of staff. When they weren’t looking he lifted the £735 bottle from the shelf and made off. He returned a short time later and took the other two bottles.
The court heard that all of the haul from Tesco was recovered, however the whisky from Tyndrum was not.
His solicitor Alistair Burleigh said: “He hasn’t worked for the last two years. He was a steel fitter to trade in the past. There was a period earlier this year when he was suspended from any entitlement to benefits. This offending occurred during that period.”
Arthurs’s solicitor Laura McManus said he had been having problems with drugs.
