A thief who helped himself to a hotel receptionist’s handbag found himself in the dock after his crime was caught on camera.
Juan Collar was seen on CCTV as he stole the bag from behind the reception desk of the Columba Hotel on Ness Walk on December 11.
Two days later he also targeted staff at Johnny Foxes and Lucky Bowl in the city – stealing mobile phones in incidents that were also filmed by security systems.
Collar, 49, a Spanish national who had been staying in an Inverness guest house at the time of his crimes, appeared from custody at Inverness Sheriff Court to admit three counts of theft.
Fiscal depute Adelle Gray said that around 2.30pm on Wednesday December 11 a staff member at the Columba Hotel placed her handbag behind the reception desk – in a spot where it was not visible to visitors.
At around 4pm she left the reception area briefly.
“At about 4.02pm the accused attended and initially walked over to the restaurant area,” Ms Gray told Sheriff Gary Aitken.
“The accused thereafter attended the reception desk, leans over, takes possession of an item and exits the property,” she continued, adding: “This was captured on CCTV.”
Inverness distraction thefts caught on CCTV
Ms Gray said that the next incident took place in the early evening of December 13 when Collar visited the Lucky Bowl and asked a staff member there for a “card”.
Believing that he needed the menu, the staff member stepped away from her post to fetch one – leaving her iPhone 11 unattended.
The woman gave a menu to Collar and “returned to find her mobile phone missing,” Ms Gray said.
A subsequent review of CCTV revealed Collar had taken it.
At 7.49pm on the same day Collar went into Johnny Foxes and spoke with a member of staff asking about job opportunities.
The staff member told him to wait at the bar while they fetched a business card – but when left alone “he takes possession of her mobile phone and exits the property”, the fiscal depute explained.
The incident was also captured on CCTV.
Stolen handbag not recovered
The court heard that both of the mobile phones were recovered – but when asked by Sheriff Gary Aitken where that handbag was, solicitor Mike Chapman for Collar replied that his client did not know as he had been “intoxicated” at the time of his crimes.
Mr Chapman said: “He tells me he has no recollection of committing these offences because of intoxication. He advises he has got a serious alcohol problem”
Mr Chapman confirmed that it was his client’s intention to return to Spain upon his release.
Sheriff Aitken said: “He certainly seems to have made something of a habit of distracting people at various front desks and then helping himself to their possessions when they are out of the way.
“I don’t know what the position is in Spain – by and large British society is not very fond of drunken thieves.”
The sheriff fined Collar £400 for the handbag theft and £200 each for the mobile phone thefts, together with a mandatory surcharge of £40 – making a total financial penalty of £840.
He told Collar the fine was an alternative to custody – which could be invoked if it was not paid.
Speaking after the case called, receptionist Jaymie-Leigh Garside, who had shared footage of the first theft online appealing for help, explained she was upset that her handbag – a gift for her recent 25th birthday – had not been recovered.
Inverness handbag theft ‘an absolute nightmare’
Describing how she has had to replace essential items like cards and car keys, she said: “It has been an absolute nightmare.”
But more than that, she said she was upset by the way her possessions had been seemingly discarded.
“There was some sentimental things in my bag – photos of my dad, and me and my partner, that can’t be replaced. More than anything it is the sentimental things,” she added.
Ms Garside said the reaction to her online post following the crime had been good with a number of people commenting with information.
“I had quite a lot of people commenting and private messaging me,” she said, recognising the community spirit in Inverness.
She said she was glad to hear Collar would be leaving the city – and country – soon.
She said: “We don’t really need people coming around and doing that.”