Barrhead man stole household goods worth over £1700 and sold them for £150 to fund drug habit

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A man who stole over £1700 worth of household goods and sold them on for a mere £150 has been sentenced to four months in jail.Stuart Melvin was given a flat to stay in Aurs Crescent, Barrhead, by East Renfrewshire Council in 2020 but the 44-year-old sold the properties furnishings to fund his drug habit.Procurator fiscal depute Amber Feeney told Paisley Sheriff Court: “On April 22, 2020, the witness Kidd attended at the property in her position as a housing support worker in order to check the property was suitable for a tenant.“On April 23, the accused took receipt of the property.“On the same evening, a witness living in a flat below the accused heard a lot of banging and she identified the noise as furniture being moved.“The witness observed the accused leave the property with a wardrobe, a single bed and a chest of drawers which she saw being placed in a van and an unknown person drove them away.“Over coming weeks the witness observed the unknown person attend and hand over furniture to the accused.“The witness contacted the local councillor who passed this on to the council.“A witness Smith attended the accused’s property and noted all the white goods and items of furniture had gone.“Police made multiple attempts to trace the accused.“The total value of the goods stolen equalled £1720.02 and were not recovered.” Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire.

Sign up to our newsletters here. Defence agent Mr McGuire told how Melvin, who appeared in the dock from custody was suffering a drug problem at the