An Aberdeen woman has been fined after she was caught red-handed with a stolen Amazon Fire Stick when she logged into the real owner’s Netflix account.
Police turned up at Carly Stafford’s door when she started watching films and television shows using the housebreaking victim’s account.
By tracking the IP address that was logged with the streaming service, they could pinpoint exactly where the stolen device was.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the Fire Stick had been taken during a robbery at a home on Ivory Court, Aberdeen.
Stafford’s solicitor said the 34-year-old didn’t steal the stick but did accept it knowing it was dodgy.
Fiscal depute Sean Ambrose told the court that at about 6.30am on November 4 2020 the owner of the flat on Ivory Court locked up the property, but left a window open for her cat to get in and out.
“The window opened inwards and was secured by a latch”, Mr Ambrose said.
“At approximately 3.50pm on the same day, one of the witnesses returned to the locus and noticed a slim piece of wood situated on the windowsill.
“She thereafter went into the property and she noticed that certain items were missing – one of which was an Amazon Fire Stick.”
However, the following day the owner of the Fire Stick saw that someone had accessed her Netflix account close to midnight and noted the IP address.
The woman then contacted the police, who saw that the device had been used on multiple occasions – each time using the same IP address from a device linked to Carly Stafford.
Officers then attended Stafford’s address and arrested her.
A search of the property was carried out and the Fire Stick was found in her bedroom.
Stafford pleaded guilty to one charge of being in possession of stolen property, namely an Amazon Firestick.
Accused knew device was ‘not legitimate’
Defence agent Neil McRobert told the court that the original theft from Ivory Court had “nothing to do with Miss Stafford”.
He added: “But nevertheless she accepts that she had been given the Fire Stick and had a fair idea that it was not legitimate and that it had been stolen.
“She had it and was using it and is guilty of that.”
Sheriff Christine McCrossan fined Stafford, of Girdleness Road, a total of £210.
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