A STOLEN bike was returned after its owner made a Facebook appeal — and posted a photograph of the thief.
Carlisle Magistrates’ Court heard that police received a report of the bike being pinched from the city centre on February 11 this year.
“It had been taken from an alley beside the CEX shop on Scotch Street,” said prosecutor Diane Jackson. “CCTV shows (the culprit) walking down Scotch Street with the bike, having taken it.”
The owner of that Voodoo mountain bike had posted a message on Facebook in the aftermath, the court heard.
“That's my bike!” he had stated in the post, which also included a video footage still of the suspect. “Anyone know who this guy is? He's got one chance to bring my bike back… and he can walk away no further action. Or I'll send all three CCTV angles to the police.”
The culprit, 53-year-old William Pearson, later went to Carlisle’s Durranhill police station and admitted his guilt.
“The bike was recovered. There was no damage to it,” added Mrs Jackson. “There is little or no planning. He has seen the bike and taken it.”
In court Pearson, of no fixed abode, admitted one offence of theft.
Defence lawyer John Smith, mitigating, said Pearson was homeless and reported having lived in a van with his cats for around five years.
“It is clearly a spur of the moment matter,” suggested Mr Smith of the theft. “It is not pre-planned. He sees it up the alley. He thinks it is abandoned. He later realises it is not abandoned.
“Once he heard it might have value he thought he might keep it. The fact is he did not keep it. He took it back to the police station himself.”
District judge Philip Holden observed that it had been an “opportunistic” offence. “You took a bike that you had no right to take but ultimately when the matter was circulated on Facebook you did the right thing,” said the judge.
Pearson was given a 12-month conditional discharge. This means he will only be punished if he commits another offence during that period of time. “Stay out of trouble, otherwise you will be re-sentenced for this matter,” the district judge said to Pearson.
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