Charity tin thief’s Covid claim cost Co-op thousands in lost earnings

A charity box thief who claimed he had Covid-19 was responsible for more than £15,000 in lost takings when the shop he raided had to be closed for deep cleaning.

Shaun Mackenzie, 44, cut himself as he smashed his way into the Co-op store on Telford Street, Inverness, and made off with alcohol, cigarettes and charity boxes.

He was caught after being spotted wandering up the street carrying a shopping basket filled with his bloodstained bounty.

Inverness Sheriff Court was told when he got taken to Raigmore Hospital to have his cuts treated he answered ‘no’ to all coronavirus screening questions.

However, on arrival at the police station, Mackenzie changed his story and claimed to be infected with Covid-19.

That triggered containment procedures at the police station and meant the Co-op store had to be closed for the entire day so it could be deep cleaned – costing the business more than £15,000 in lost takings.

Under the influence of illicit substances

Mackenzie, of Academy Street, Inverness, pled guilty to the break-in, in the early hours of May 28 2020, as well as theft.

Fiscal depute David Morton said he got away with more than £1,000 of goods and caused £300 worth of damage to a glass panel when he forced entry.

Mackenzie’s solicitor Willie Young told the court his client had been “heavily under the influence of alcohol and illicit substances” at the time of the offence.

Since the break-in Mackenzie has distanced himself from people who might have had a negative influence over him and had secured full-time employment.

He added: “He is desperately ashamed of his behaviour and embarrassed that he let himself get into that condition.”

Sentencing Mackenzie to 210 hours of unpaid work, to be completed within 18 months, Sheriff Gary Aitken said the offence was “a grave matter indeed”.

The sheriff said he would have dished out a custodial sentence were it not for the fact “you seem to have turned your life around”.