An online romance turned sour when a 51-year-old dairy distribution supervisor illegally withdrew £200 from a woman’s bank account at an Inverness supermarket ATM.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard Allan Mitchell, of Benula Road, Inverness, had met his victim on a dating site in August 2019.
Fiscal depute Rowena Carlton told Sheriff Gary Aitken: “They began a relationship and on October 28 2019 she was staying overnight.
“She woke up in the early hours of the morning and found her handbag was insecure and he was not there.
“When she returned home, she found her purse was missing.
“He at first denied he had taken it, but then admitted the offence.
“He had withdrawn £200 from her account at the Co-op in Telford Street.
“She hadn’t disclosed her pin number to him, so she can only assume that he got it by watching her use it.”
Ms Carlton added that the woman had ended the relationship.
Her bank has since compensated her for her loss.
Mitchell admitted to the theft and was fined £520.
Solicitor John MacColl told the court his client had previous convictions “but none for dishonesty”.
Inverness man fined for stealing £200 from woman he met on dating website
