‘It wasn’t even me. I was framed’: Pair found guilty of stealing from Aberdeen cafe

Two men have been found guilty of breaking into an Aberdeen cake shop and making off with more than £600.

John Gallagher, 30, and Max Milligan, 23, had been on trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court in connection with the incident at Shakes ‘N’ Cakes on Spital.

And yesterday the jury took around an hour and a half to find the pair guilty by a majority verdict.

Sheriff Philip Mann deferred sentence on Gallagher, a prisoner of HMP Grampian, and Milligan, of Bayview Court, Aberdeen, for reports, but warned they could be facing jail terms over the matter.

Outside court following the verdict, Milligan told the Evening Express: “It wasn’t even me. I was framed. I’m a good person.”

During the trial the court was shown CCTV footage from inside Shakes ‘N’ Cakes of Gallagher and Milligan tampering at the till and using a crowbar to try to open the safe.

Their faces were hidden in the footage and defence agents Ashley Pollock and Iain Hingston, representing Gallagher and Milligan respectively, had tried to argue there was not enough evidence to link their clients to the men in the footage.

Earlier footage from a lift at Bayview Court, where Milligan lives, had shown the men’s faces.

And footage shortly before the time of the break-in showed men in similar clothing exiting the building while hiding their faces.

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The jury decided the video was enough to convince them of the pair’s guilt, convicting them of breaking in to Shakes ‘N’ Cakes on June 10 and stealing £651.

Addressing Gallagher, the sheriff said: “I’m pretty certain you will likely end up with a custodial sentence so you should be prepared for that.”

Turning to Milligan, he said a social work report would be useful to see if there is an alternative to prison.

However, he added: “A custodial sentence will be at the forefront of my mind when I come to pass sentence.”

The pair will be sentenced next month.