A MAN who stole a dog at a railway station claiming it was his own pet has avoided jail.

Andrew Sutherland of Dennystoun Forge, Dumbarton stole the animal whilst on bail from Dumbarton Sheriff Court.

Procurator fiscal Emma Petterson told the hearing on October 19 that on November 21, 2019 at 3.30pm a witness was approached by Sutherland at a crossing near Dalreoch station.

Sutherland asked questions about the dog that was next to the witness before the conversation ended.

A short while later the dog’s owner tied his pet to a pole whilst he lit a cigarette. Sutherland then approached the victim again and told him that the dog was his, claiming it had been stolen three months earlier, and said he wanted it back.

The other man said he’d had the dog since it was a puppy.

Sutherland then took the dog and left the area with it, advising the victim to “prove it belonged to him”.

Police were called to the scene, and the dog owner produced documents showing the animal was his.The court also heard the dog’s microchip was registered to the owner.

Police found Sutherland at a nearby vet’s surgery. Prior to being charged Sutherland shouted: “I have the dog. It’s my dog. It’s in the shed. You can come and see it if you want.”

He was then advised by police that the dog was in fact not his.

The next day police carried out a search and found a tissue in Sutherland’s right pocket containing a small amount of drugs that tested positive for cannabis.

Defence solicitor Stephen McGuire said his client truly believed the dog was in fact his.

He said: “He knows he is in the wrong. His position is that he was speaking to the dog and used the name ‘Here dog’. He accepts he may well have made a terrible mistake.

“He has far too many experiences in court. He genuinely believed the situation.

“The way he behaved on that day is not appropriate and he knows that.”

Sheriff Frances McCartney handed Sutherland a community payback order with 12 months of social work supervision.

He will also be required to carry out 135 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Sutherland was admonished on a separate charge of drug possession.

The sheriff told Sutherland: “Cannabis use will exacerbate any mental health problems, so I urge you to take up this supervision, to come out of it, and never to appear in court again.”