Fauldhouse thief given community service

Dec 29 2011 by Allan Valente, West Lothian Courier

A MAN has been ordered to carry out community service after he tried to steal slates from a church roof.

Colin McLaren (28) had wanted to bring down the slates in order to sell-on the lead from within them.

He was seen on the roof of St Andrew’s Church on Main Street in Fauldhouse on October 19 by members of the public who also heard noises that sounded like slates being removed at around 11.10pm.

Twenty minutes later police arrived and asked McLaren, who was still on the roof, what he was doing. He told them he was trying to get lead.

McLaren, whose address was given as Scott Place in Fauldhouse, was in possession of a hammer and bags at the time.

When questioned later by police he made a full admission to removing the inner layer of tiles in a bid to try and get lead that he would be able to sell.

Livingston Sheriff Court heard last week that McLaren told officers that he had tried several times to get on the roof using buckets and chairs and had kept falling off.

His solicitor Stuart Peebles branded his client’s actions as “amateurish”.

He said: “He has an unenviable record but recently his behaviour has improved considerably and he has no outstanding cases.

“Without diminishing the seriousness of it, it was an amateurish matter at best. I say that seriously, it was almost farcical.”

Mr Peebles added that his client has been gravely concerned about a medical condition and asked Sheriff David Clapham to allow McLaren to retain his liberty so that he may attend treatment.

He added: “This incident followed an argument with his partner over medical treatment and he had taken diazapam over a two-day period as a result of this.

“There was no great plan or anything of that nature, despite being in possession of bags.”

Sentencing McLaren to 120 hours of community service and placing him on a period of supervision, Sheriff Clapham told him that he regarded it as a serious crime.

He said: “I have to say that whether the matter can be considered amateurish or not, I think that one shouldn't lose sight over the fact that this is not a victimless crime.

“In the circumstances repairs to the roof had to be paid by someone, whether it was another organisation or members of the church who had to raise the funds.

“It is a serious matter for the congregation of the church.”