A valium-fuelled lout who smashed his way into a high street baby shop in full view of CCTV cameras has been spared jail and urged to “put your money where your mouth is”.
John McCormick threw a brick through a front window of Daisy’s Baby Boutique in Peterhead – a crime even his own lawyer dubbed “not the work of a master criminal”.
The 30-year-old made off with £500 worth of infants’ clothes during the early morning raid on April 16.
He swiped just £15 from the till but caused £1,000 of damage during the amateurish break-in, which was captured on several CCTV cameras in the town centre.
Caught on CCTV lobbing brick
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the front door frame was also damaged.
Security camera footage showed McCormick throwing the brick through the window and entering the shop at 2.44am. He was seen leaving carrying a “large, white package”.
The clothing and cash were not recovered and the window and door cost £500 each to replace.
Defence agent Leonard Burkinshaw said McCormick was intoxicated on “mainly valium” at the time and had “no recollections of events”, although he accepted his involvement.
‘Not the work of a master criminal’
Mr Burkinshaw suggested “It was not the work of a master criminal” given the street is covered by CCTV.
Prior to McCormick’s sentencing, his lawyer said that “fairly positive” background reports suggest he is committed to turning his life around.
He added: “He has spent most of his young life in care and he has realised that if he goes on like this he will spend the rest of his life in institutions. He is keen to resolve his issues.”
‘Put your money where your mouth is’
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin previously described McCormick’s offending as an “entrenched pattern of behaviour” and warned him a prison sentence would be the “most likely outcome”.
However, she instead handed him a two-year supervision order.
She told McCormick, who will be released from HMP Grampian next month, that the community payback order was a chance to “put your money where your mouth is” and a chance to “break that pattern”.
“I think you need to get the opportunity to try to address your addiction issues with the hope there won’t be any more offending,” she added.
“If you do another sentence there’s a high risk you are never going to break the pattern.”
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