Labourer stole from children’s piggy banks

A labourer working on a house extension stole more than £800 from children’s piggy banks.

Gary Scott had been employed to help with work on a couple’s property in Monkseaton, North Tyneside.

But he sneaked into a bedroom and stole money being saved for the couple’s grandchildren.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the builders began work in June last year.

Most of the work was being done downstairs but access was needed to a rear bedroom to remove some brickwork.

However, on August 21, the man who lives there entered a front bedroom.

Michael Cahill, prosecuting, said: “There were four ceramic piggy banks for their grandchildren and he could see there was damage and an amount of money missing. He counted the sums up and £860 in bank notes had been stolen. He said the underside of one of the piggy banks had been broken.”

Police were called and Scott’s fingerprints were found on the piggy banks and he was arrested.

Scott, 44, of Park Lane, Shiremoor, North Tyneside, who has 45 previous convictions, including for burglaries in the 1990s, pleaded guilty to burglary.

Vic Laffey, defending, said: “It’s certainly a very mean offence, he has acknowledged that in the presentence report.

“He was homeless and sofa surfing and had a drink problem.

“He is ashamed. He has never been to prison before. Being remanded in custody has been a salutary lesson to him.”

Recorder Toby Hedworth told Scott he would suspend the sentence because otherwise Scott would be released at the end of his jail term without his issues being addressed.