Bakery cash thief claims police mocked him over his weight

An overweight thief who robbed a bakery claimed he only hurled abuse at the police because they mocked him for his weight.

Barry McQuaid was arrested after stealing a charity tin from Baynes Bakery in Perth and shouted and swore at the officers who were trying to detain him.

“That’s because they were shouting at me,” McQuaid told the court. “They were calling me a fat b ****** .” McQuaid was then given a warning by Sheriff Lindsay Foulis about repeatedly interrupting his own lawyer and speaking in court.

Sheriff Foulis said: “This is not an interactive process.”

McQuaid raised a laugh in the courtroom by replying: “I just like your company, Mr Foulis.”

The sheriff smiled and told McQuaid that solicitor Pauline Cullerton was acting on his behalf during proceedings at Perth Sheriff Court. McQuaid said: “She does a great job.” Sheriff Foulis replied: “She will be very glad to hear that.

“If you let her get on with her job we will all get on a lot better.”

McQuaid, 32, Princes Street, Perth, admitted stealing the charity cash from the bakery in Rannoch Road on October 23 last year.

He also admitted that three days later in the city’s Campsie Road he acted in a threatening or abusive manner towards police officers.

Sheriff Foulis granted McQuaid’s request to remove a curfew condition but he remains banned from the bakery as part of his bail.

Sentence was deferred for the preparation of social work reports.

Barry McQuaid leaving Perth Sheriff Court after admitting stealing charity cash from a bakery.