Spared jail for honesty tin theft from club

A painter and decorator who stole more than £30 from an ‘honesty tin’ at Scone Airport has been spared a jail term when he appeared for sentence in court.

Instead, 31-year-old Ryan Wishart, now of Victoria Street, Alyth, was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

He will also be supervised for six months to ensure he doesn’t relapse into taking illicit substances.

Formerly of Firbank Road, Perth, he admitted stealing the tin and its contents from the Scottish Aero Club premises on January 10.

Perth Sheriff Court was told that Wishart was challenged by an aerodrome worker and couldn’t give any explanation why he was there.

He was told to leave the area but was then spotted approaching one of the hangars on the sprawling site.

The employee “kept an eye” on him and saw him riding off on an orange-coloured motorbike.

He told a colleague about the suspicious activity.

It was then subsequently discovered that the honesty tin at the club, used to collect refreshment money, was missing.

The two men then searched the grounds and, using binoculars, saw there were lights on in workshops some distance away.

“They traced the accused, along with another person, confronted them and demanded the return of the money and the tin,” explained depute fiscal Tina Dickie to the court.

After about 15 minutes of “rummaging about,” £31.30 was handed over.

Solicitor David Holmes said his client had taken Valium on the day of the theft.

Describing it as “an opportunistic theft,” Sheriff Gillian Wade allowed Wishart three months to complete the 80 h ours of unpaid work.