Sneak thief stole car whilst owner was buying newspaper in Highlands store
A quick visit to a Lochaber shop for a newspaper gave a sneak thief the opportunity to steal the motorist's car.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that the driver left his keys in the ignition of his VW Polo because the purchase at the Spean Bridge Spar shop would not take long.
But 34 year old Jamie MacAllister of Izatt Avenue, Dunfermline took his chance and got behind the wheel just as the owner was returning.
Fiscal depute Naomi Duffy-Welsh told Sheriff Robert Frazer that the victim had to move out of the way to prevent being knocked down by MacAllister.
The theft took place about 12.30pm on February 18, earlier this year, and police were informed and officers located the vehicle some 45 minutes later at Dalwhinnie.
MacAllister was stopped and a subsequent breath test revealed a reading of 74mcgs when the legal limit is 22mcgs.
A search of his belongings recovered two grammes of cannabis from his trouser waistband but MacAllister refused to give a blood test for the drug in his system.
Ms Duffy-Welsh said: "He claimed he had a phobia of needles."
Defence solicitor advocate Neil Wilson told the court: "He was fishing in the Highlands with a friend who had crashed the car. They had been drinking and he was desperate to get home. He did a foolish thing.
"He is an intermittent offender but this is not his usual offending.
"There was no premeditation, no motive for financial gain and no damage to the vehicle."
Sheriff Frazer took some time to consider whether or not to jail MacAllister who had served prison sentences before.
However he decided to impose the alternative of 200 hours of unpaid community work, social work supervision with alcohol counselling for the next 20 months and a restriction of liberty between 7pm and 7am.
It will last for four months.
MacAllister, who admitted car theft, drink driving, failing to provide a blood specimen and possession of a controlled drug, was also banned from driving for two years.