Blackwood man stole his wife's charm bracelet

The 49-year-old admitted the theft when he appeared at Lanark Sheriff Court last Wednesday, but the whereabouts of the bracelet remain a mystery.

The court heard that his wife had been out visiting her sister and returned to the marital home last June to find the charm bracelet missing from her wardrobe.

The bracelet could now not be found, although Sommerville did admit taking it, the court was told.

Solicitor Archie Hill said that the couple had been dividing up their property, and Sommerville had taken the bracelet as his as he had bought it, but he now knew the legal position with that differed from his understanding at the time.

Mr Hill assured the court that Sommerville had not pawned the bracelet, but it had never been recovered, he conceded.

Sheriff Nikola Stewart said that she would impose a compensation order for £350 for the bracelet and its three charms, but she added: “It would make sense for him to find it if he can. I am sure the lady would prefer to have it than the money.”

It was agreed that Sommerville, who has serious health problems and is on benefits, would try to find the bracelet.

“I am invited to take a charitable view that this was not a spiteful act, that this was a misunderstanding of the law, but there is an element of spite in taking something that clearly belongs to a woman,” Sheriff Stewart told Sommerville.

She imposed a compensation order but with a delay of six weeks to allow him the chance to find the bracelet, telling him to notify the court if it turned up in the interval.

She also fined Sommerville, living care of another address in Nethan View, £150 for failing to appear at court on an earlier occasion.