City centre handbag snatcher

A man who snatched a purse from a 50-year-old woman’s handbag while she was walking through Perth city centre was fined £600 this week.

Twenty-four-year-old Wojciech Pindal, of St Catherine’s Square, was also ordered to pay victim Susan Bathgate £80 compensation for the unrecovered cash when he appeared at Perth Sheriff Court this week.

The court was told that police were able to arrest Pindal within an hour of the crime after the woman was able to describe what he had been wearing when he ran off.

He seemed genuinely remorseful when he admitted pinching the purse, telling officers:“I feel bad about it.”

Depute fiscal Bill Kermode said the woman was walking on Caledonian Road at around 2pm on April 5 when she felt a tug on her handbag.

“She looked down and noticed a packet of handkerchiefs was lying on the pavement,”he said.

“She then looked in her handbag and noticed her purse was missing.

“She looked up and saw the accused running away from her.”

Two police constables traced Pindal, who told them: This is the first time I have stolen anything. It won’t happen again.”

The victim’s purse and cards were recovered but money was missing.

Lawyer John McLaughlin explained:“He lost his job through his own stupidity at the time and that led to financial difficulties.

“But he went back, cap in hand, to his employers and was re-employed.”

PIndal was ordered to pay £100 a month.