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Man pulled knife on shop staff as he tried to steal some pens

Aberdeen Sheriff Court
Aberdeen Sheriff Court

A man who was caught stealing marker pens from a city supermarket has been jailed – after he pulled a knife from his pocket when being quizzed by staff.

Serial thief Stephen Black was spotted acting suspiciously at the Tesco store on Wellington Road, Aberdeen, on February 8 this year.

As he was attempting to leave the shop, he was approached by the manager who asked him if he had taken anything.

The 37-year-old admitted that he had tried to steal a packet of three marker pens and handed them over.

He also produced a hidden knife from his pocket, prompting staff to call the police.

Yesterday Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the repeat offender had forgotten he had the offensive weapon with him, and only realised when he was getting the stolen pens.

Fiscal depute Saima Rasheed said that when officers arrived they also found him in possession of a chef’s jacket which he claimed to have found.

She said the item of clothing was not his and he had made no attempt to try to return the jacket to its rightful owner.

Black admitted being in possession of the knife, stealing the pens, and attempting to steal the jacket, when he appeared in court yesterday.

Representing Black, a prisoner in HMP and YOI Grampian, solicitor Iain Hingston said there was clearly no alternative other than a custodial sentence for his client given his substantial criminal record.

However he asked Sheriff Annella Cowan to accept that the possession of a knife was out of character for Black as most of his previous convictions were for crimes of dishonesty.

Sentencing Black, Sheriff Cowan said: “It is the knife that got you into trouble. Next time remember where you put it.”

She jailed him for nine months.