An Aberdeen woman who stole her pal’s engagement ring was caught after her friend spotted her wearing it.
Deborah Murray, 47, swiped the £1,800 ring during March 2017 while visiting her friend at an address on Scylla Grove Cove in Aberdeen.
Murray had been helping her friend care for her dying husband at the time.
She appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday for sentencing, having previously pled guilty to a charge of theft over the incident.
Depute fiscal John Richardson told the court: “The property in question is an engagement ring.”
He said Murray stole the ring from a room while visiting the woman at her house.
He added: “The parties were at the time friends but I suspect no longer are.
“The value of the property was £1,800.
“I’m told it was fully recovered so there was no loss to the complainer.
“The accused was interviewed under caution and made full admissions in relation to the theft.”
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Defence solicitor John McLeod said: “They were well-known to each other and quite emotionally invested in each other.”
He said Murray’s friend’s husband had been “dying” at the time and Murray had been helping them.
Mr McLeod said: “They were very close. They were jointly caring for this man.”
He added his client had initially taken the ring “without a clear idea of what she was doing and hung on to it and hung on to it”.
The solicitor explained it came to light when Murray wore the ring attending a social occasion.
He said: “She suffers from anxiety and depression.”
He added: “This is a very strange case.”
Sheriff Charlotte Coutts said she took into account the accused’s “remorse” and fined Murray, of South Avenue, Cults, £250.
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