Engineer stole BMX bike because he was too drunk to walk

AN apprentice engineer stole a BMX bike to get home from a party because he thought he was too drunk to walk.

Sandy Wales, 20, left the party in Loanhead in the early hours of 22 January and stole the 110 bike from McNeill Terrace because he felt cycling home would be easier, Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard today.

But his journey came to a sudden halt after a short distance, when he fell off the bike and was spotted by two police officers.

Wales, of Hunter Avenue, Loanhead, was fined a total of 360 after pleading guilty to stealing the bike from McNeill Terrace in Loanhead and to riding it while unfit through drink or drugs in Kennington Avenue.

Fiscal Depute, Malcolm Stewart, said the police came across Wales at ten to two in the morning. "It was obvious he had been drinking" he said.

"His speech was slurred and he had difficulty standing".

Defence agent, Vincent Belmonte, told Sheriff Margaret Scott that Wales had been drinking heavily.

"He felt too drunk to walk and thought the best idea was to take the bike, thinking it would be easier to cycle than walk. It was very much on the spur of the moment".