Drinks thief threatened to ‘carve up’ Glenrothes’ Morrisons shop worker

Lee McManus, 28, of Lochtyburn Avenue, Lochore, was found guilty of a house-breaking and also sentenced for other offences he had admitted.

After a trial at Dunfermline Sheriff Court, McManus was convicted of a charge that on October 27 he broke into a property in Ballingry Road, Lochore with intent to steal. McManus claimed it was the home of his friend and he had gone inside after seeing the door was damaged. He hid in a cupboard after hearing some people coming in. It was the police and they found him.

McManus was also sentenced for a catalogue of shoplifting and threats to staff. On September 2 at the Co-op, Bank Street, Lochgelly, he stole alcohol. He also acted in an aggressive manner towards a shop worker. On September 18 at Asda, Glenrothes, he stole alcohol. He also acted aggressively and challenged a worker to fight and made threats of violence. On the same day at Morrisons, Glenrothes, he stole alcohol, acted aggressively towards a shop worker and made threats of violence. On May 4 at Aldi, McKenzie Street, Kirkcaldy, he stole a bottle of alcohol. On May 10 at Nisa, Overton Road, Kirkcaldy, he stole items worth £114.80. On May 24 at the Co-op, Lochleven Road, Lochore, he stole food worth £20. On June 13, at the same store he stole food worth £39.

Depute fiscal Catherine Stevenson said the Morrisons theft involved McManus being caught by staff member as he was trying to remove the security tags from two bottles of Jack Daniels. He handed back one of the bottles back but refused to return the other, walking outside with it.

He was followed by the worker who was then threatened by McManus, who said, “Do yourself a favour. Go back into the shop before I carve you up.”

Defence solicitor Amy Harley told the court, “He says he is ashamed of his behaviour towards shop workers who were just doing their jobs.”

Sheriff John MacRitchie jailed McManus for 17-and-a-half months. He pointed out that McManus had two previous convictions for housebreaking and 28 for theft.

The sheriff told McManus, “You essentially have been a one-man crime wave in the Fife area and your record is simply appalling. You have shown a total and utter disregard for the law of the land. This is quite horrific. I can’t tolerate it, society can’t tolerate it. I have to protect shop workers from your atrocious conduct.”