Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Man ‘stole £3,000 from woman he befriended’
A CON artist who made up a sob story to befriend a woman made off with more than £3,000 from her home, it was claimed today.
Police are investigating after a man apparently stole a box containing the four-figure sum from Leah Cooper’s home in Arbroath.
The 40-year-old said she had got to know the man, who called himself Mike Bryce, after he claimed that he had moved to the area to help his sister — who had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The man spent a week in Leah’s home before she discovered he had disappeared with the money, some of which was to be used in an upcoming holiday in Marmaris, Turkey.
About 1,300 lira and savings of £2,710 were taken by the thief.
Leah had started speaking to the man after meeting him in a bar.
She said: “I felt sorry for the guy. He had told me the story about his sister and that he was staying at a B&B in the area.
“He was hoping to stay at another person’s house but it had fallen through.
“He asked if he could stay with me. After hearing the story about his sister, I thought I was being a Good Samaritan.”
Leah, who works in Subway, said the man stayed with her for a week before the money was stolen on Sunday.
She said: “There was never any indication the guy was struggling for cash. We went on a few nights out during the week.
“He bought takeaway food and bought food to make my friend’s tea — he seemed a great guy.”
Leah claims the man became aware of the cash only when she began packing.
She added: “I was due to leave for Marmaris with friends and I started packing on Sunday.
“That’s when Mike would have first become aware of the physical cash in the box. I had gone to work as planned that day and he had even texted me to ask if I fancied a drink after work.
“When I got home he was gone — clothes, most of the things he owned were gone — and within minutes I saw the box was missing.”
Leah, who has now gone on her holiday, frantically called the man, whose phone was switched off.
She added: “Mike had left a jacket and a USB stick containing pictures which are now in the hands of the police.”
A spokeswoman for the force said: “Police Scotland is making inquiries into the theft of money from a house in Arbroath on Sunday May 14.
“Anyone with any information is asked to contact us on 101 quoting reference 12546/17.”