A thief who broke into an Aberdeen house stole a £100 note – then immediately spent it at McDonald’s.
Lee Anderson, 42, raided an address on College Bounds while the occupants were away and helped himself to games consoles, a router, a soundbar and the cash.
The break-in came to light when a friend of the couple who lived at the address stopped by to check on their pets.
And police wasted no time in tracing Anderson on CCTV as he made his way to the fast-food restaurant and spent his ill-gotten gains.
A search warrant was then executed at his home where more of the stolen goods were found.
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the incident happened on April 21 2022, while the couple who lived at the house were away due to a family bereavement.
‘Lapsed back into drug abuse’
A family friend stopped by around 10.45pm to check on the property and feed their pets, but found multiple drawers had been opened.
She contacted another friend to come and assist and the pair found a bicycle and bag nearby on Spittal Walk.
The bag contained a camera, three PlayStation 4 controllers, various chargers and some candles.
They contacted the homeowners who confirmed the items belonged to them.
The full list of stolen items is:
- A BT wifi router
- A PlayStation 4
- A slim PlayStation 3
- A black Logick soundbar
- A £100 note
- A red metal money box
Ms MacVicar told the court: “CCTV was subsequently viewed which identified the accused attending at McDonald’s on Union Street, whereby he tendered a £100 Scottish note in payment.
“He was carrying a rucksack with a black Logick soundbar within it, together with the red metal money box taken from the address on College Bounds.
“An evidential search warrant was subsequently granted and executed at the accused’s address.
“The PlayStation 3, BT router and Logick soundbar were all recovered from the accused’s address.”
In a separate incident earlier the same day, Anderson broke into a black Peugeot 207 in the car park of Aberdeen University’s Sir Duncan Rice Library on Bedford Road.
‘Friend rewarded Mr Anderson with copious amounts of alcohol’
Its owner, who had been inside studying all day, emerged at 9.45pm to find a front window smashed and the backseats pulled forwards.
A Coca Cola bottle which did not belong to her had also been left on the back seat.
Ms MacVicar said: “DNA analysis was carried out in relation to samples lifted from the vehicle, including a sample of blood from the glovebox and a profile from the rear seat back latches of the car, which were found to match the accused’s DNA.”
Anderson, of Greig Court, Aberdeen, pled guilty to theft by housebreaking and forcing open a locked vehicle with intent to steal.
Defence agent Tony Burgess said: “Earlier that day, Mr Anderson, who had again lapsed back into drug abuse, had assisted a friend.
“That friend rewarded Mr Anderson with copious amounts of alcohol.
“That, on top of the prescribed medication that Mr Anderson had taken, took him from compos mentis to non-compos mentis.”
Sheriff Ian Wallace ordered Anderson to be jailed for 16 months.
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