A 29-YEAR-OLD Scarborough man has been fined after he stole a purse which had been left behind in a phone box.
David Wilkinson, 29, of no fixed abode, admitted theft by finding. He was fined £100 by Scarborough magistrates and ordered to pay £90 compensation to the victim.
Steven Ovenden, prosecuting, said the victim had accidentally left the purse, contai
ning cash and credit cards, on the ledge of a phone box in Aberdeen Walk at about 4pm on April 18.
She realised her mistake 15 minutes later and contacted the police, who viewed CCTV footage. A police community support officer identified Wilkinson as the culprit.
Mr Ovenden said: "He realised he was being watched by members of the public and didn't search it thoroughly. He left the purse on steps near the Balmoral Centre."
Wilkinson was not arrested until several weeks later.
He acknowledged he should have handed the purse in, but denied taking any money from it.
Ian Brickman, mitigating, said Wilkinson "succumbed to temptation" after seeing the purse on the ledge of the telephone box.
The victim had claimed there was £90 cash inside the purse before it went missing.
Mr Brickman said: "He had a very brief look through the purse and is adamant there was no money in there. But he didn't make a full search and there may have been money elsewhere in the purse."
Wilkinson, who the court heard had struggled to find accommodation for a number of years, must also pay a £15 victim surcharge.
The full article contains 262 words and appears in Scarborough Evening News newspaper.
