Inverness hotel thief caught on CCTV
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A serial thief raided an Inverness hotel and stole a charity tin and belongings from some of its residents, including a woman’s make-up and her clothing.
At Inverness Sheriff Court, 41-year-old Rory Mackay from Inverness, who had a long record for dishonesty, was jailed for 12 months, backdated to January 20.
He admitted two charges of theft by housebreaking and another of theft from the Glen Mhor Hotel on Ness Bank on January 18 this year.
Fiscal depute David Morton told Sheriff Sara Matheson that the offences took place in the main hotel, one of its bedrooms and one of its serviced apartments.
He said that hotel staff had been made aware of the theft of jackets from an event which was taking place within the Function Suite during the course of the evening of 18th January 2020.
Some of them were found the following day outside in a bin and police were contacted.
CCTV identified Mackay and showed him holding one of the hotel’s charity tins. It also filmed him at around midnight on the 18th in an apartment rented for a week-long family gathering.
Mr Morton said: “One of the family – whom was sleeping – became aware of a man within who said he was in the wrong apartment and left.
“Earlier that day another of the family members had left her bedroom window in the apartment slightly ajar. When she returned to the apartment following dinner and drinks out in the City Centre, she noticed that her bed was dishevelled and her backpack missing.
“In the backpack were items of clothing, make up, her return train ticket and other personal items. Also missing from the dressing table was a white H&M bag which contained clothing and personal items.
“A review of CCTV from the hotel showed that at 11:45pm that night Mackay enters an apartment by climbing through a ground floor window.” Mr Morton added.
In the early hours of the following morning a resident in one of the rooms returned from a night out and noticed wardrobe and bathroom doors were open, which he had closed.
“He then noticed that his work laptop and charger which was plugged into the wall near the door and hidden underneath the duvet covers was missing. He reported matters to hotel staff.” Mr Morton concluded.
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