A furious mother has revealed how a north-east courier driver ruined her 10-year-old’s Christmas by stealing his Xbox.
Lisa Morrison had been making preparations for months to beat the rush and secure her son Gordon one of the coveted new Series X consoles, which were exchanging hands for double their value ahead of the festive season.
However, despite receiving a slip to say the in-demand item had been delivered, it never appeared.
Courier driver Dean Reeves was today fined £300 at Elgin Sheriff Court after admitting he stole the console before selling it on.
Brazen courier returned to scene of his crime
Elgin mother Mrs Morrison had been planning to surprise 10-year-old Gordon with the Xbox since March last year.
The office worker registered her interest with online store Very and completed the £482 purchase in September.
She and her husband were both working when it was due to be delivered on November 11 but were confident it would not be left outside because it required a signature.
However, when they returned home a slip had been left to say it had been left in the garden. It was nowhere to be seen.
Mrs Morrison immediately phoned the courier company to complain and Reeves, 32, returned to the home that evening to look for the delivery he had stolen – even pretending that he had actually dropped it off.
But Mrs Morrison immediately became suspicious of his shifty behaviour.
She said: “He was very energetic. You could tell he was running on adrenaline.
“He wouldn’t look me in the eye or stand still. He was moving about all over the garden, he never stopped.
“He was acting very weirdly. I immediately had a gut instinct that he had the parcel.
“Later we got sent a photo of the parcel in our garden, so we knew it had been there at some point.”
‘He stole from my son and ruined his Christmas’
The Morrison family reported the theft to the police.
Mrs Morison has praised the work of officers, who told her the courier had later sold the console, for apprehending Reeves so quickly.
While the investigation was ongoing, she was forced to talk about the Xbox in hushed tones in the hope she could maintain the surprise for her young son.
However, the huge demand for the consoles for Christmas meant she was unable to secure another one in time for the big day, despite receiving a full refund from Very.
After the sentencing at Elgin Sheriff Court today, she said: “It took over our lives for months. I became really quite obsessed with it.
“It was top of my son’s Christmas list and I just desperately wanted to get it for him. I wasn’t sleeping properly for weeks before Christmas.
“I just can’t believe he stole it. He stole from my son and ruined his Christmas.
“They were selling for £1,000 on EBay at the time, so he probably made a profit on it if he’s only been fined £300.
“There are obviously people out there reaping the benefits from these deliveries, I just want to make people aware that it’s going on.”
Courier’s court apology for ‘inconvenience caused’
Reeves, of Jamieson Drive in Elgin, was fined £300 after pleading guilty to a single charge of theft.
While in the dock, the 32-year-old, who represented himself, was asked whether he wanted to make any statement about the circumstances of the theft.
He said: “I apologise for any inconvenience that I caused and time wasted. I have learned my lesson.”
