Jailed for stealing cash from wallet at pal’s home

Also shoplifted from store

A thief was this week jailed for stealing cash from a wallet which had been lying unattended at a friend’s house.

Danielle Moreland, whose address was given as Stirling’s Springkerse Homeless Unit, had admitted a number of charges across three summary complaints.

The 27-year-old had admitted stealing a sum of cash at a house in Alloa on April 13, 2018, while on bail on two separate matters; stealing razors and toiletries from Iceland in Stirling city centre on November 13 last year, and stealing cosmetics from Superdrug in the Thistles shopping centre on November 22 last year and having a lock knife there the following day.

Moreland had appeared at Stirling Sheriff Court on Wednesday on warrant following her non appearance in court for deferred sentences.

Fiscal depute Lindsey Brooks said the theft of cash from the wallet took place at the home of two witnesses. One of the witnesses was a friend of Moreland. The other witness had £450 in £20 notes in a wallet which had been left on a coffee table in the living room. The money, said the fiscal depute, was in connection with the couple’s flooring business

Moreland had been left alone in the living room while the witnesses were in the kitchen. While there the witnesses heard footsteps running from the premises. The wallet was lying open and money was missing.

Moreland later admitted taking the money, said the fiscal depute.

Ms Brooks also explained that an alarm was activated at the Stirling Superdrug store on November 22 last year and CCTV viewed to see what had caused it to go off.

Moreland was seen taking two face creams worth £17.82 each. The items were not recovered, added Ms Brooks.

The following day Moreland was spotted in the store after being recognised as being responsible for the face cream theft the day before. She was asked to stay there, taken into an office, and police contacted.

When officers attended Moreland was searched and found to have a lock knife in her handbag. It was 13cm in length with a 2cm blade.

Moreland had been spotted with another person shoplifting at Iceland at 1.30pm on November 13 last year.

She was stopped by staff, returned the items and apologised. Ms Brooks added: “She appeared to be quite well known to staff.”

Moreland’s solicitor told Sheriff Pino Di Emidio that her client – who had been remanded in custody on all the matters since February 7 having failed to attend court for deferred sentences, “accepted the consequences of non-attendance.” She had now been in custody for 26 days.

The report before the court, the lawyer pointed out, showed that Moreland’s offending “was consistent with drug misuse.”

Sheriff Di Emidio sentenced Moreland to 52 days imprisonment on the theft of the cash from the wallet backdated to February 7. However, he followed a recommendation in a social work report that Moreland be made subject to a community payback order, on the theft by shoplifting at Superdrug and possession of a lock knife there, as an alternative to imprisonment, comprising one year’s supervision and to attend drug counselling. Sentence on the Iceland shoplifting was deferred until May 27 for a progress review hearing.