A MAN was so inebriated he stole somebody else’s pet dog in a busy Helensburgh street, a court has heard.
Charles Wilson, of Tontine Park in Renton, previously pleaded guilty to stealing the dog in West Princes Street on January 25.
At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Tuesday the 38-year-old’s solicitor, the procurator fiscal depute and the presiding judge all agreed the case was “strange”.
Alasdair Millar, prosecuting, told the court the dog’s owners had left their pet tied up outside a property in the street.
Wilson was then seen holding a dog collar and lead, but the animal had run off.
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He said: “It was my dog. I was taking him for a walk.”
Defence solicitor Leo McGinn said: “I think ‘strange’ is probably the word.
“He had very, very limited memory of the incident.
“He himself does have a dog that’s not dissimilar to the dog in question.
“In his inebriated state, he is in some belief this is his dog. It’s a bizarre case.”
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Sheriff William Gallacher quipped: “’Aye right’ springs to mind.”
Mr McGinn said: “He has ongoing difficulties with his mental health, exacerbated by drugs, which he uses to self-medicate.”
Sheriff Gallacher said it was wrong for anyone to claim illegal drugs can be any form of medication.
Echoing Mr McGinn’s words, the sheriff said it was “a very strange case” and “beggars belief”.
Wilson was placed under the supervision of social workers for three months.
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