A 43-year-old former chef and barman has been ordered to carry out 60 hours of unpaid work after admitting stealing a bottle of red wine from an Inverness supermarket.
Bruce Urquhart, of Kenneth Street, appeared from custody yesterday at Inverness Sheriff Court and admitted the theft from the Morrison’s store on Wednesday.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told the court that Urquhart was seen leaving the store at about 1.30pm without paying for the £9 bottle of wine but that it was soon recovered.
Defence solicitor Claire Russell told the court that her client, who was until recently employed as a chef in an restaurant, had been suffering from an alcohol problem for the past 12 years.
She added: “He was working as a bartender in New York for a number of years and it was part and parcel of that lifestyle but unfortunately his alcohol consumption escalated.
“On the day in question he was suffering from the usual bodily symptoms and went to the supermarket with the intention of purchasing but discovered he only had £2 in his account and unfortunately made the decision to take the red wine and was stopped.”
Former chef and barman caught stealing bottle of red wine from supermarket
