Stole £5500 of gran's cash

Alan Crawford (26) appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court last Thursday having admitted the theft of the card from Tummel Place, Grangemouth on August 14 and the theft of the money from machines at Nisa Local, Coatbridge Road, Airdrie and the Co-op, Main Street, Slamannan, between August 14 and September 4.

The court heard Crawford had already taken steps to pay his gran back what he stole, taking £1000 from the final wage of £1400 from his previous job and organising a loan of £1000 from his mother.

It was stated Crawford was now working on a temporary contract with Amazon at the firm’s warehouse until the end of the year, so he would be able to make further payments to his grandmother in excess of £3000 by Christmas.

Sheriff Derek Livingston said: “My first thought would be to send you to prison for this.”

However, he continued the case and made a compensation order for Crawford, 32 Southfield Crescent, Coatbridge, to pay back his grandmother the money he stole.

Crawford was given strict deadlines to pay back the cash in instalments.

He was told to pay back £1000 within seven days, another £1000 by November 30 and a further £1000 by January 7 next year. He was also told to pay off the remaining balance by April 27.

Sentence was deferred on Crawford until May 8.