Animal lover stole pets to pay drug debt
A YOUNG man who stole ferrets from a garden shed in Inverness was hoping to sell them on to clear drug debts his solicitor told a Sheriff.
John McColl said James Marshall and an unnamed accomplice came up with the "hair-brained idea" which landed him in custody on remand since February 24.
Marshall (20), of Smithton Park, was arrested following the disappearance of a number of family pets in the Smithton area.
He originally faced eight charges which included the theft of guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets and bird food.
Last month the Crown accepted guilty pleas to two charges from Marshall to the theft of four ferrets along with another unnamed person, on February 20 and the attempted theft of a rabbit from a hutch on February 20 – both from properties in Smithton.
Procurator Fiscal Karen Smith told Sheriff Alison Stirling the householder where the ferrets were being kept was disturbed about 10.20pm by a security light in the back garden.
By the time he got out the four ferrets were missing.
"The householder had CCTV and on viewing footage from it he found the accused going into the garden and removing the ferrets from a shed."
The fiscal said one of the ferrets bit Marshall and two escaped and two were removed.
Three days later on February 23 about 4am a householder who was getting ready for work observed someone in the back garden at the rabbit hutch and he saw Marshall attempting to open the hutch.
Mr McColl told the court: "It's a very odd case with the accused displaying peculiar behaviour. It seems the theft of the ferrets was not his idea but that of his accomplice. It was a hair-brained scheme to pay of drug debts. How that would have worked I do not know," said Mr McColl.
"He's certainly an animal lover and not an animal hater He is absolutely disgusted with himself and accepts he acted stupidly and out of character and is extremely remorseful."
Mr McColl said his client had already spent a considerable time since February 24 on remand and sought a non-custodial sentence.
Asked by the Sheriff what happened to the ferrets the fiscal said two escaped and two were recovered.
The Sheriff ordered Marshall to carry out 175 hours of community service and placed a curfew on him for six months from 10pm until 6am.
