A 64-year-old man who was caught attempting to steal almost £900 worth of groceries has claimed he was a victim of ‘cuckooing’.
Robert Dunlop appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted attempting to steal food and household goods by filling his shopping trolley to the brim at several supermarkets in the Granite City.
However, he claims he was put up to it by other individuals who had taken over his home.
Dunlop, who has previous convictions for shoplifting, was caught by Tesco and Asda staff while trying to leave the store with a shopping trolley laden with goods.
He attempted the same caper on three separate occasions, the court heard.
‘Cuckooing’, as it is known, is when criminal gangs or individuals target the properties the old or vulnerable as a means to store quantities of drugs or hide the profits of crime.
Dunlop pleaded guilty to three charges of attempting to steal food and goods from Asda and two Tesco superstores.
Accused was caught on CCTV
Fiscal depute David Ballock told the court that Dunlop was spotted heading towards the doorway of Asda supermarket on February 18 this year with more than £360 worth of items in his trolley.
On another occasion, he was again caught trying to leave a Tesco superstore with more than £275 worth of shopping.
He was caught at the same Tesco store three weeks later with more than £247 worth of food.
The total amount of goods Dunlop attempted to steal was £885.54.
‘People were taking a loan of him effectively’
His solicitor, Neil McRobert, told the court that Dunlop was put up to it by “individuals who had moved into his flat” in Aberdeen.
He said: “The situation is that he’s got a record for analogous matters but an individual had moved in with Mr Dunlop and various pressures and threats were directed towards him to carry out these offences.
“My understanding from Mr Dunlop is that had he succeeded these items would have been passed on to another for their own financial gain.
“However, he failed each time with the trolley stopped at the door and no doubt all the items placed back on the shelves.
“He tells me he was obtaining no reward for this and his position is that people were taking a loan of him effectively.”
Sheriff David Hall told Dunlop: “You have a record for this type of thing, but clearly these are serious matters.
“These are quite high values here but you were unsuccessful every time.”
As an alternative to prison, Sheriff Hall sentenced Dunlop, of Mastrick, to a community payback order and ordered him to carry out 65 hours of unpaid work.
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