A man stole a mobile phone which a person had inadvertently left behind in the toilets of McDonald’s in Lurgan on Boxing Day last year.
The defendant, Marian Siladi, a delivery driver, of Dill Avenue in Lurgan, admitted theft.
The 52-year-old had the assistance of an interpreter at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court.
The defendant was the only person who had entered the toilets after the phone had been left there.
He had a ‘Just Eat’ delivery bag and was identified through the registration of his car.
A defence lawyer said the defendant found the phone and “very foolishly” thought he would just keep it and “panicked when he was approached by the injured party”.
He was remorseful, the court was told.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said it had been an “opportunistic theft” and fined him £500. He was also ordered to pay compensation of £774 for the phone.
