News / Addict deeply ashamed of bank card theft
A SHETLAND drug addict who stole almost £2,000 from close family friends to feed his heroin habit narrowly avoided a jail sentence at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Steven Nicholson, of 63 North Road, Lerwick, pled guilty to stealing two bank cards from a house in Cunningsburgh between 11 and 25 October last year.
The 24 year old also admitted using the cards to withdraw £1,900 from cash machines at three separate banks in Lerwick between 25 and 27 October.
The court heard that Nicholson had not received much support from his immediate family during his life, and the most help he had received came from the people who he stole from.
Defence agent Tommy Allan said his client was deeply ashamed of his actions and that everyone was very disappointed by what he had done, but since then he had sorted himself out and apologised to his victims.
He explained that Nicholson had been on a prescription to help him with his heroin habit, and when that was reduced suddenly he had been unable to cope and began to source his own drugs, stealing the money without thinking of the consequences.
“The amounts involved are significant and what’s frightening about that is that was entirely spent on drugs for Mr Nicholson. He has nothing to show for this,” Mr Allan said.
“It went to feed a habit that was spiralling out of control. He has managed to rein that in, everything is back on track with the people who helped him with his drug addiction and he is on a prescription that’s reducing fairly rapidly.”
The court heard that Nicholson would not be able to pay the money back, but it was more important for his victims that he get his life in order.
Sheriff Philip Mann said his crimes definitely warranted a custodial sentence, but as his victims did not want to see him jailed he would place him on a supervised community payback order for 12 months.
He also must carry out 160 hours unpaid work and will be tagged for six months keeping him at home seven days a week between 8pm and 6am.
The sheriff warned him that any breach of the order would send him directly to prison.
He said: “You were guilty of a very serious breach of trust, you should be absolutely ashamed.
“I can understand on one level the difficulty there is for someone like you who has a drug addiction faced with the temptation you were faced with, I can understand it but I can’t condone it.
“No matter what the temptation is, it’s totally out of order and I am sure it’s caused significant distress to the people who have supported you most in your life and you have to count yourself extremely fortunate they have remained supportive of you.”
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