Men jailed for resetting goods

Two men with dreadful records of dishonesty were jailed for nearly five years at Lerwick Sheriff Court yesterday.
Adam Nelson, 25, and Kieran Roberts, 26, both of whom appeared from Barlinnie Prison, admitted possessing a range of stolen goods, some of which had been intended as Christmas presents.
Nelson also admitted breaking into the Staneyhill Community Hall on Christmas day and stealing items of boxing equipment and two sports bags after forcing open a locked cupboard.
The court heard that Nelson had “reset” several pieces of computer equipment at Hoofields, Lerwick on Boxing Day. Roberts admitted resetting computer technology, including a games console, controllers, hard drives, an iPad and two laptops that had been taken from a caravan in Hoofields on Christmas Day.
Police found several of the stolen items when they searched Roberts’ Hoofields home on Boxing Day. According to procurator fiscal Duncan MacKenzie all the stolen goods had now been recovered. Some were high value items that “may well have been Christmas gifts”.
Defence agent Christopher Bailey said Nelson had lost his job in December and the crimes, though serious, were not planned or premeditated. His client had been drinking and taking drugs over the festive period and his crime had been an “opportunistic” one.
Sheriff Philip Mann said that the theft of items likely to have been Christmas presents was a “particularly despicable” offence. Nelson’s criminal record was littered with convictions for theft, dishonesty and break-ins.
Roberts’s “dreadful” past record included a number of serious crimes of dishonesty.
Sheriff Mann sentenced Nelson to two and a half years in prison and sentenced Roberts to two years and three months. Both sentences were backdated to 30 December when the pair were first remanded.