A man has admitted using sleight of hand magic to trick a supermarket cashier out of £200.
Vasile Rostas pled guilty to the fraud, which took place at Elgin’s Tesco on Blackfriars Road, on 22 September 2020.
The sly trickster managed to distract the worker so he could conceal £200 of his £400 bill using a magician-like dexterous hand manoeuvre.
Fiscal depute Karen Poke told the court Rostas, 50, had gone to the shop at around 8.40pm with his four-year-old daughter.
She said: “He went to purchase two Shark vacuum cleaners costing £400.
Tills were short by £200
“Nothing appeared untoward at that time, however, the following morning staff discovered that the tills were short by £200.”
Mrs Poke explained that each till had a weighted counting mechanism and CCTV from the night before was then scrutinised.
The court then heard that the footage clearly showed Rostas at the till using his sleight of hand to take back £200 in cash.
Mrs Poke explained: “[Rostas] can be seen handing the cashier the money. She counted it before going to put it into the till, but he then distracted her and asked her to pass it back to him. The cash is returned to him.
“He then counted it again, and as he did, he was observed removing money from the bottom of the bundle, folding it with his little finger and covering up with his wallet as he handed the cash back to the cashier – who then puts it in the till uncounted.”
Rostas had also been charged with fraud amounting to £160 at Tesco’s Danestone store in Aberdeen.
‘This seems to be a practised and rehearsed move’
It was alleged he bought a blu ray player and then returned it the next day for a refund of £427. However, his plea of not guilty was accepted.
A further two charges for driving without a licence or insurance – all on the same date in 2022 – were also dropped.
Rostas’ defence agent said his client suffers from “a variety” of health issues, “not least” congenital cardiac failure and epilepsy and is receiving disability benefits.
Sheriff David Harvie deferred sentence on Rostas, of Hopeman Avenue, Glasgow, asking for reports to be carried out.
He said: “This seems to be a practised and rehearsed move. I would like reports.”
He is due to appear again at Elgin Sheriff Court on November 23.
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