Theft accused's Ferrari a 'midlife crisis'

Published on Wednesday 23 July 2008 11:18

A HAIRDRESSER accused of stealing £74,000 worth of hair straighteners bought a Ferrari because he was "going through a midlife crisis."

Giving evidence at his own trial, Mark McMorrine admitted he lived to the limit of his means, borrowing 25,000 and regularly going into his overdraft.

The 37-year-old, who left his job at Charlie Miller's salons after being charged with fraudulently selling the GHD straighteners on eBay, spent 31,000 on the car.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court today he admitted that he sold 946 pairs of the luxury hair irons on eBay.

But he denied that he stole them, insisting he bought them in bulk from other eBay users.

In total, people paid him 63,000 for the products and he received almost 40,000 in payments through eBay.

Online auction site eBay has no records of McMorrine, of Lasswade Court, Lasswade, purchasing any GHD products from other users which he said was because he would make contact with a buyer through the site, before conducting the sale privately, but he admitted that he lied to workmates about where he got the straighteners from and couldn't provide details of the sellers.

McMorrine's defence claim that the massive stock irregularities found by Charlie Miller are down to poor stock control.

McMorrine maintains his innocence and the trial continues today.