Jail for man who stole from hospital

A MAN stole computer equipment from a hospital while visiting his pregnant girlfriend.

A Sheriff yesterday described Ian Raeburn's crime as "an extremely cynical exercise".

Jailing him for six months at Edinburgh Sheriff's Court, Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie QC told the 30-year-old: "Your girlfriend was in the Royal Infirmary. The people there were helping her and you stole from the hospital.

"Given your extensive record and the nature of the offence, only a custodial sentence is appropriate".

Raeburn of Craigour Green, Edinburgh, had pled guilty to attempting to steal a television set from the hospital and to stealing a computer hard drive, monitor and keyboard from there on 14 February this year.

Fiscal Depute, James O'Reilly, said Raeburn's girlfriend was in the Infirmary's neo-natal department. A witness saw Raeburn with a pair of pliers in his hand, apparently trying to cut the cable of a television set on a wall in the department.

Raeburn saw he was being watched and made off. The witness, said the Fiscal, noticed Raeburn was wearing "distinctive clothing".

Later, in another part of the hospital, a witness saw Raeburn interfering with the computer equipment. Standing outside, he saw the accused leaving with the keyboard sticking out of his jacket.

Again police were alerted and they spotted him in Craigmillar Castle Road. They were in a car and Raeburn on a bicycle and the chase ended when he collided with another vehicle. None of the equipment, valued at 500, was recovered.