A migrant hotel worker who was told to move two suitcases belonging to guests to another room stole them instead.
But Hungarian Ferenc Schmidt, who worked at the Craiglynne Hotel in Grantown-on-Spey, was quickly caught and the goods recovered before he returned to his own country.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard yesterday that the 31-year-old was employed as a waiter at the Speyside premises and was due to go back to Hungary on Saturday.
But instead, Schmidt spent the weekend in the cells after police found the stolen suitcases in the hotel’s residential block where the East European lived.
He appeared from custody before Sheriff David Sutherland and admitted that on August 9, he stole two suitcases containing a computer tablet, clothing, toiletries, hair straighteners, a radio, three chargers and a hair trimmer.
Fiscal depute Michelle Molley told the court that guests had checked in to the hotel that afternoon.
“But when they entered their room, it was not what they had booked. They asked to be moved and were invited to pack their bags, leave the room unlocked and a member of staff would move them.
“The guests left but when they returned they discovered their suitcases were missing. Suspicion fell on Schmidt and the items were found in the staff residential block where Schmidt resided.
“He was detained on Thursday August 11 when he made partial admissions to police before being released. But as he was returning to Hungary on the Saturday, he was again detained on Friday August 12 and remanded until today.” Ms Molley added.
Defence lawyer Laura Macnaughton said: “My client was returning to Hungary because his father is unwell. He intends to get work there to make an income before returning to Scotland to find new employment.
“But this conviction will make it difficult for him. All the items were recovered.”
Sheriff Sutherland fined Schmidt £400, ordered that it be paid at £20 a week beginning in a fortnight’s time.
He added: “If you miss one instalment, then the alternative of imprisonment will apply.”
