A “professional” and “systematic” shoplifter has been handed unpaid work after admitting a string of thefts from stores in Aberdeen.
Silviu Zainea pled guilty six shoplifting offences between July 10 and August 21, in which he “targeted high-end products”.
Sheriff Mark Stewart handed the 32-year-old a community payback order, but warned that if he continued to offend the court would need to “take steps to protect the shopkeepers of Aberdeen in a more significant way”.
Zainea admitted stealing coffee worth £46.18 from Co-op on Rosemount Place in Aberdeen on July 10, and then skincare products from Boots in the Bon Accord Centre, including items from the Estee Lauder counter, on July 13, July 14 and again on July 21.
A not guilty plea was accepted to another charge of shoplifting from Boots on July 21.
Fiscal depute Alan Townsend told Aberdeen Sheriff Court the total value of goods taken from Boots, including those in the charge Zainea was acquitted of, was £1,737. However, he was unable to provide a value for only the Boots offences to which Zainea had pled guilty.
Zainea further admitted stealing a bottle of Tom Ford fragrance from Space NK in the Bon Accord Centre on August 21.
Mr Townsend said: “I’m not familiar with the value of such a fragrance but it appears to be £83. That was recovered because he was stopped in the Bon Accord Centre.”
And Zainea further admitted stealing spectacles from Vision Express in the Bon Accord Centre on the same day.
Mr Townsend said the three pairs of sunglasses were worth £517 and were also recovered.
And lastly, Zainea also admitted possession of two bags of cocaine worth a combined £300.
Defence agent Gail Goodfellow said her client, a Romanian national, had been in financial difficulty due to struggling to find work and had resorted to stealing to get money to feed his family.
Sheriff Stewart said: “This is a systematic shoplifting enterprise. It has the hallmarks of more than somebody stealing to feed their children. It’s a daily adventure into the stores of Aberdeen and in any view high-end material is being harvested.
“It’s pretty classic professional shoplifting.”
Addressing Zainea, of The Galleria, Aberdeen, directly, the sheriff continued: “I’m not persuaded the account I’ve heard from you is the whole story. However that is the position as it has been explained to me.
“It looks to me that you have resorted to what may be described as professional shoplifting.
“If, now you have been identified as a professional shoplifter, you commit further offences and return to this court, the fact I’m about to sentence you in this way will alert the court to what you are about. The court will then take steps to protect the shopkeepers of Aberdeen in a more significant way.”
Zainea was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
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