A woman has admitted stealing her 91-year-old neighbour’s bank card – and then using it to take out hundreds of pounds.
Sarah Bigland swiped the card from the pensioner’s home before withdrawing £300 and going shopping.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard the 34-year-old, who had sometimes carried out errands for her neighbour, had been “desperate” for cash and had planned to pay the money back.
She previously pled guilty to stealing the bank card from the address on Valley Crescent, Aberdeen, on July 12 and then using it to withdraw £150 each time from ATMs at Spar and RS McColl on Provost Watt Drive on July 12 and July 19.
Depute fiscal Anne MacDonald said: “The complainer from whose bank account the accused obtained the money is a neighbour of the accused and they have known each other for 10 years.
“This is a 91-year-old lady whose niece had power of attorney over her financial affairs.”
The pensioner noticed the card was missing and around the same time was contacted by her bank and the offence came to light.
Ms MacDonald said: “The accused freely admitted to the police in interview that she had taken the bank card from her neighbour and had taken money on two occasions out of the bank account and that she had taken the bank card initially from a cabinet drawer in her neighbour’s house on an occasion when she, the accused, had been left alone.
“Asked what she did with the money and she said she’d bought shopping with it.”
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Defence agent Stuart Beveridge said: “It goes without saying this is a gross breach of trust.
“She actually contacted the neighbour by letter with apologies and offered to repay the money. That was before the police even contacted Ms Bigland about this matter.
“She has had further contact with the complainer and it’s her intention to repay the funds to her in full.
“I understand the reason she knew where the card was and the pin is because is in the past she’d been asked to carry out errands for her.
“She was very low on cash. She’s had financial difficulties. It was a spur of the moment decision. She was basically just desperate.”
Sheriff Raymond McMenamin handed Bigland, of Valley Crescent, Aberdeen, a 12-month supervision order as an alternative to a fine.
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