Man remanded in custody over alleged pet thefts
A young man fought back tears as he was remanded in custody at Inverness Sheriff on Friday having denied stealing pets from neighbouring properties.
A police investigation was launched this week after the disappearance of a number of family pets including guinea pigs, rabbits and ferrets from hutches and sheds in the area.
James Marshall of 18a Smithton Park, Smithton appeared from custody on a series of charges of stealing or attempting to steal in total four ferrets, four guinea pigs, three adult rabbits and four baby rabbits allegedly committed between February 20 and 23 while he was on bail.
He denies on February 20 breaking into a garden shed in the city's Smithton Park and stealing four ferrets and on the same night stealing a small hutch and four guinea pigs from an address in the same street.
In Cranmore Drive on February 22 he is accused of stealing bird feed, a plastic container and a skipping rope and on February 23 at four different addresses in Smithton Park and Kenneth Place of stealing three adult rabbits and four baby rabbits and a wooden guinea pig hutch.
He further denies attempting to steal a rabbit from an address in Smithton Park on February 23.
Depute Fiscal Eilidh Robertson said bail was opposed by the crown because Marshall was already on bail and the course of conduct was alarming because it was over a number of consecutive nights and all offences took place at night-time during the hours of darkness.
Solicitor John McColl made a plea for Marshall to be released on bail.
He said the 20 year-old had never been in custody before.
"These are only allegations at the moment which he has denied."
But Sheriff Margaret Neilson said it was an unusual set of charges.
"Given the nature of the charges it is not in the public interest to grant bail and you will be remanded in custody," she told Marshall who was struggling to fight back tears as he was led to the cells.
Marshall will appear next at an intermediate hearing in Inverness on March 20 with the trial fixed for March 29.
